The 33rd Annual Hunger Games
by stagewriter
Summary: Every year, twentyfour children are sent into the HungerGames. This is the story of five children who were sent into the 33rd Annual HungerGames and what they did to either succeed or fail. Follow along and find out just who will win. The Games begin on Chapter 23
1. Alder: District 7

**AN: Ok, so I've been thinking about this story for a while and I've got the outline nearly done. However, I couldn't wait to post this so I'm going to, now. Just to see how many people will read it. This story will be rotating between five main characters to keep the mystery of who will win. Each chapter is never along the same time period of the other so say this charpter ends just before noon, that's when the next chapter starts. I hope you'll enjoy my story of The 33rd Hunger Games!  
><strong>**The main characters are:  
>Alder Black: Male, District 7, 17 years old.<br>Arma Treno: Male, District 2, 16 years old.  
>Moray Eel: Female, District 4, 15 years old.<br>Clover Wool: Female, District 8, 15 years old.  
>Techno Electrique: Male, District 3, 13 years old.<strong>

Chapter 1: Alder  
>District 7<p>

I roam the trees, counting to hundred in my head. I hear the giggling of my sister and I know she hasn't wondered off. She doesn't know about the reaping tomorrow, she doesn't understand it.

I don't need to worry about wild animals getting anywhere near her, in District 7, the district of lumber, there is a whole area of forest to be cut down and replanted with trees.

_Ninety-nine, One-hundred._

"Cassandra!" I call out, "Ready or not, here I come."

I hear more childish giggling and I turn around to see part of her skirt, sticking out from behind a tree.

"I wonder where she could be…" I say aloud and I am applauded with more giggles. I jump behind the tree and shout "_Boo!_" in a playful manner. Cassandra screams and runs away.

"Alder, that's no fair!" She shouts while still running back to the house, she's not hard to keep up with so I steadily walk behind her.

"How is it not fair?" I ask.

"Cause you're bigger than me," she laughs and we continue our way into part of the village in District 7. We make our way to a dark brown log cabin and rush inside.

"Mom, Dad, Douglas, we're home," I call to my parents and younger brother. I'm older than him by only two years, and sometimes I still can't believe that he is fifteen. Cassandra is three years younger than him and it is her first time actually participating in the reaping, but she won't understand it anyway. I put my bag on the table and call out to everyone again as Cassandra runs to her room to play. I turn and Douglas has materialized in the door frame to our tiny kitchen. We both share the same blue eyes, but that's as far as our similarity in looks go. He's got black strait hair while mine is either a dirty blonde or very light brown that waves over my forehead.

"They're not home," he says.

"Well then where are they?" I ask him after a moment.

"They went to sign us up for Tesserae."

"Not Cassandra though," I hiss, "Right? I mean if she gets reaped… could you imagine how helpless she'd be in there… I couldn't stand to put someone with Downs into The Games."

"I know, that's why they're just signing us up for it, two each," Douglas says.

My mood lightens at the thought of Cassandra only having one tag in that big bowl with her name in it. We didn't need much tesserae anyway. My mom is an assistant of the mayor so we live with our bellies always full. We're not rich, but we're also not poor. It was a choice of our parents to live on the outskirts of town, they liked being near the forest. I'm not complaining though. I love the forest, it gives me a place to relax and escape from stuff. Plus, you can always find something interesting in there. Oh! That reminds me…

"So how was school?" I ask rummaging through my bag to find something that I found in the forest.

"It was fine," he responds, "How was the Lumberyard?"

"Not much got done," I reply with a smile. That is code for, _I didn't go._ I would use watching Cassandra as an excuse since she couldn't attend school because they couldn't "Give her the extra help she needed."

"What are you looking for?" asks Douglass, taking note of my rummaging through the bag. I pull out two leaves, one Douglas leaf and one Alder leaf, the trees of which we were named after.

"What are those for?" he asks.

"In case we get reaped," I say handing him the Douglas leaf, "I figured it would be a good token."

"Thanks but we're not going to need it," he says.

"I know," I say, "Just in case."

I give him the leaf and set my leaf on a dresser in my room. I pack my things and head back to the Lumberyard. They had figured out that since my brother is home after school, he could take care of her so I was forced to come back. It wasn't completely dreadful though; it taught me how to use an axe. Here in District 7, you begin work when you're seventeen. Most of the men are sent to chop and work with the wood. As I arrive at the Lumberyard, I am greeted by old friends from school.

"Hey Alder," says David, he's been my best friend for god knows how long, even though he's two years older than me. We have a deal that if one of us were to be picked in the games, then the other would volunteer for them. However, that deal is null and void now since this year's his first year that he's no longer eligible to be a tribute.

"Hi, David," I say as I make my way over to him. He pushes the long blonde hair from his brown eyes and hands me an axe.

"You've missed one hell of a day," he laughs.

"Oh really?" I chuckle, "How so?"

"Well, some noob was cutting down a tree and found himself standing on the wrong side of it. It fell down and nearly killed him!"

He finds himself laughing hysterically and I let out a small chuckle. Only he could make sense of his immature humor.

After a few hours, a few more trees have been cut down and cut into smaller pieces. I grab a couple thick logs and bring them home as firewood. When I arrive at the cabin, my mother has already returned home and is cooking dinner in the kitchen while Douglas works on his homework. Dad is home too, spending his time playing with Cassandra to keep her busy. I set the firewood down next to the fire place, take one of the logs and set it with the other charred wood. I set the fire quickly and help my mother set the table for dinner.

The table. My father and I crafted it and most of the other furniture in this house. He's a carpenter and has taught me a lot. One day, I will have to leave the Lumber yard and begin to work at his shop where he sells all types of wooden things.

After we finish setting the table, Mom calls the others and we sit and eat roasted duck.

"So," says Mom, "How was everyone's day?"

This is how she always starts off dinner in attempt to start conversation. Douglas, Dad and I say fine and Cassandra begins to ramble on about her great day of playing in the woods with me. Mom smiles as she love's hearing Cassandra's stories. As she listens to Cassandra intently Douglas turns to me and our dad.

"The reaping is tomorrow," he announces in a hushed tone.

"Yes," Dad agrees.

"What if one of us gets reaped?" Douglas continues.

"Where did this come from?" asks Dad.

"Yea," I agree, "You've never worried about the reaping before."

"I don't know," he mutters, "I've just got a weird feeling…"

"Don't worry," I say, "five years into the reaping and I haven't been picked, fact of the matter is that the chances are highly unlikely."

Douglas doesn't seem so sure though. His eyebrows knot making his forehead crease. I wonder what would make him feel so worried.

**AN: So that's chapter one. A little introduction to the oldest character Alder. There will be a few more chapters like this and then the reaping. Please review!**


	2. Arma: District 2

**Well, I'm going to hope that I will get more reviews since not that many people reviewed... Anyway this chapter is about Arma Treno, a sixteen year old boy from District 2. The order of POV will go from oldest to youngest in a cycle. Not sure if I already said that but I'm saying it now so... enjoy and review!**

Chapter 2: Arma  
>District 2<p>

As I punch the punching bag for the last time, I feel myself about to collapse from being so exhausted. I sit onto the chair against the white wall of the training room. Today is the day. The day the district decides who will be the volunteer to be tribute. There are so many of us willing to that they have a separate reaping to decide who will volunteer.

My eyes begin to droop and I make my way to the showers. I strip myself of my clothing and bask in the water that falls like hot rain. As I exit the showers and head to the locker room, I dry myself with a towel. There are several other guys here who are also doing some last minute training. I put on some clean cloths and make my way to the Justice Hall to sign my name in. You don't get tesserae for signing up to volunteer. Not that anyone needs it anyway.

I head into the Justice Hall and take a seat to rest for a while. The reaping of volunteers isn't televised as that would be poor entertainment for the Capitol. There are dozens of other volunteers here and it doesn't take me long to figure out why they need to do this. For four unlucky years, I've had to stay home and train. I'm sixteen and I can't wait to get into the games. The worst is when a volunteer is picked but then they don't volunteer at the reaping. This only happens a couple times but it's still frustrating.

I close my eyes and begin to wonder what the arena will be like this year. Will it be a snowy mountain? Will it be a barren dessert? Doubt it though. They did a frozen wasteland last year and all of the tributes froze to death; it was the most boring year yet.

"Arma!" someone calls and I snap back into reality at the sound of my name. I look around myself and see a friend who I never talk to. He waves me over to a group of people and I go to him.

"Hey," I say being careful not to use the boy's name since I don't remember it.

"Hi," he says, "Are you excited?"

"Please," I sigh, "I never get picked; I don't even know why I bother anymore."

"Come one," he says, "It may be your lucky day or something. I mean, lucky for you cause if you got picked instead of me…"

I find myself laughing for some unknown reason. The boy thinks I'm laughing with him so he continues to ramble on thinking he's funny. He stops and then gives me a weird look.

"Come on it wasn't that funny," he says but I keep laughing.

I wasn't laughing at anything he said, I was just so tired that the mere idea that I'd actually be lucky enough to volunteer is ridiculous. Most people aren't that lucky until they're eighteen and if it's true that I need to be lucky, then I'll have to wait two more years.

"I'm sorry," I say, "I'm just tired that's all."

I leave the boy behind and stumble my way to the bathroom. I turn on the sink and splash my face with water in attempt to wake myself up. I look up from the sink and into the mirror. I don't realize who I'm looking at until I realize that it's me. My black hair is overly curly to the point where I don't even bother trying to control it. My brown eyes have purple circles around them showing my restlessness. That with my bulky build makes me look like a strong mad man.

I return to the volunteer room and double the amount of people have arrived. I quickly grab a seat and wait for the 'reaping' to begin. As I wait, more and more people flood the room. Eventually, the mayor goes up to a stage at the front of the room and begins to do his practice speech for tomorrow. This could also be considered a rehearsal reaping. He begins to speak about the history of Panem but I don't pay attention.

I think about how I've been training my whole life for something I may not even be a part of. The mayor continues to ramble on and on and I find myself falling asleep.

I dream about being raised into an arena and seeing a golden cornucopia filled with goodies like swords and maces. The time reaches sixty seconds and I sprint there faster than anyone else. Grabbing a random weapon and begin killing everyone in sight. Suddenly, the earth begins to shake beneath me and I fall into nothingness.

I soon realize that I'm being shook awake.

"Hey," a voice echoes into my ears, "Hey!"

I blink myself awake and everything seems fuzzy. I can barely see my hand in front of my face and everything becomes one big blur. The colors collide into one, blood red. There is sudden gold in the middle and the blur fades away. I can barely materialize the girl next to me shaking me awake.

"Come on wake up." She tells me.

"What?" I mumble, "What is it?"

"Are you awake?" she asks me.

"Yea…" I say and I suddenly realize that the volunteers had been chosen.

"Who… Who was chosen?"

"I don't know," says the girl, "They are about to choose the boy…"

I snap up and look at the plump man wiggle his fingers in the reaping ball. His suite was pale white and his skin was dark brown, his hair dark red, making it look like the top of his head was gushing out with blood. Along his eyes were red tattoos that looked like red vines creeping up his neck to the tips of his eyes. My eyes then focus to the large ball of names. Only one of those tags has my name as each volunteer can only register once. The man picks one and lifts it to read it.

"And the male volunteer will be…"

**Cliff Hanger! sorry but you won't find out if he was chosen or not until Chapter 6: Capitol Broadcast of the Reaping. Yay! Review!**


	3. Moray: District 4

**Alight so since I can't over lap the time period this chapter is going to be nearly all flashback. This is about a Fifteen year old girl from District 4 named Moray Eel. Enjoy and Review!**

Chapter 3: Moray  
>District 4<p>

It's been a long day and I'm really tired. I slug my way towards my bed and plop down on top of it and I begin to fall asleep. But the thoughts of the reaping tomorrow in the back of my mind keep me awake. Could it be true what those girls said? That none of the girls this year are going to volunteer. It seems very unlikely since it is a Career district but still the thought of me getting reaped and no one coming to my rescue scares me, especially since I've had to sign up for tesserae.

But who cares what they say? They're just some mean girls who tease other people because they are insecure on the inside… But they also know anything and everything; they'd even know other people's plans at the reaping. I recapped the day in my head trying to see if what they said could be true:

I woke up and immediately got dressed. I packed my things and ran out to the shore. I stand before the waves as they elegantly roll in, the soft, warm sand molds around my feet. I quickly attire myself into my bathing suite and jump into the salty waters.

Small fish swim around in schools and pass by me, scurrying off in fear if I come to near. Then I see it. The most beautiful fish known to Panem: the Milofish. Before the Dark Days, The Capitol had begun making mutations, Milofish was one of their first successful experiment mutations. That and their extreme beauty is what made people believe that catching them was good luck. They are harmless fish that feed off of plants in coral reefs.

Inside the coral reef, there lurk several beautiful, nasty, and gentle sea creatures. It catch a glimpse of a snake like figure scurry into a hole. It peeks out to see who the intruder is and once it realizes that there is no danger, it goes back onto the colorful streets of the reef. I notice it immediately, it's a Moray Eel, the thing I was named for. Funny, my last name is Eel too. I wonder if that is why they named me after this gently, yet vicious predatorily creature.

I finished my swim and rushed back onto the beach. That's when I saw him. Bala Shark. He's three years older than me and it is his last year to be able to participate in the games. He was tall and unlike the rest of us, was very light skinned and light haired. Even his eyes were light brown when most people here, including me, have tanned skin with dark brown hair and eyes but not him. He must not have known that I was in the water because he's holding a fishing pole whose line is right by where I was.

"Oh, sorry," says Bala, "If I had known you were there I wouldn't have cast my pole here."

"It's fine," I say, "Maybe you'll get lucky, I saw a few Milofish out there."

With that I put on my school cloths and head to school, my hair slowly drying but still damp once I get there.

"Everyone run, it's the sea witch!" shouts Murla, one of the most evil people in the school. I shoot her a dirty look and continue on. I make my way to my first class and Murla and her clones come up to me.

"Hey Moray," she says with an evil smirk, "Guess what I just heard."

"I'd rather not," I say.

"Oh but it's really good," she smiles, "I heard there aren't going to be any volunteers this year."

"Ha, yea right. District 4 always has a volunteer," I laugh half-heartedly.

"Well I'd hope so, but it's not what I heard. Wouldn't it be horrible if you go picked and no one volunteered…"

"Go away Murla," I snare and she's taken aback.

"Don't snap at me," she says suddenly not so 'nice.'

"Whatever," I say and her and her clones stomp off.

I ignored her for the rest of the day and pretended what she said hadn't bothered me, but it did. I couldn't keep my mind off of it. I thought about it so much that I didn't even pay attention to the world around me. This proved to be harmful when I ran into someone in the hallway, spilling my books all over the floor. When we both bent down to pick the books up, I noticed it was Bala.

"Hey," he says, he must have recognized me too.

"Hi," I say, "Did you get that Milofish?"

"Almost," he smiles as he continues to help me with my books.

When we had collected all of them, we stood up and he handed them to me.

"Well, see you around," he says and he walks on. I find myself smiling but the smile quickly fades when I remember that if I were to get reaped tomorrow, I would never talk to him again.

_Why am I worrying so much? _I ask myself but there's one clear answer. Murla put it into my head, it won't happen. The day continued until school ended and I rushed to the dock. I sat at the end and considered just jumping into the water and swimming far far away.

I get up and brush myself off, feeling more tired than anything else. I find my way home and sluggishly stumble into my bedroom, plopping onto the bed, still thinking about what Murla said. It couldn't…wouldn't happen. This is the Career strict. Someone will volunteer and chances are I won't even get reaped.

My recap of the day is done, and I feel myself falling into sleep, that is until my dad comes in.

"Hey Moray," he says.

"Hi daddy," I say.

"How was your day?" he asks.

"Lousy." I turn my head into the pillow.

"Yea well, don't worry about a thing. You seemed upset so I made you some hot chocolate."

"Thanks," I smile and get up and go to the kitchen with him.

Mom is already asleep and since Dad has no other children that he could worry about, we both just sit quietly and drink hot chocolate, a true specialty that I am sure he was saving for tomorrow. We wait for tomorrow. Waiting for the reaping.

**Well, that's three put of five. two more characters and then it will be the reaping. sorry for the wait, I just want you toget to know the charcters before they are put into the games. after all, I'm not going to be the one to choose who the winner is... It might be you who gets to choose but you have to review!**


	4. Clover: District 8

**Alight this chapter's about Clover and what her pleasant life is like in District 8. Enjoy and review! **

Chapter 4: Clover  
>District 8<p>

The morning light streams in through the large window. The light hit's me right in the face like a punch to wake me up. In attempt to hide from the harsh light I pull the covers over my head. It's not like I have to wake up early anyway, today's a day off for all of Panem. The only thing needed to be done today would be to arrive at the reaping at 1:30. So I might as well sleep in, but the light steams through the fabric covering me and I am forced to wake.

I walk downstairs and into my Mom and Dad's clothing shop, right in the center of town. I walk past the countless dresses and outfits and into the backdoor which is where the family actually lives. I enter the kitchen and make myself some eggs and bacon. We are rather rich so I won't need to be signing up for any tesserae. There are some in this town though who really need the tesserae. I guess I'm lucky in that sense. My fourth year into the reaping and I've not even come close to being reaped. Being fifteen, my name will only be in four times.

Once finished, I sit at the table to eat. I stick my fork into the eggs when I hear the ring of the front door opening. I quickly fix my hair and go out to greet whoever came it. I walk into the shop just to see my boyfriend, Leather.

"Hey," he says with a smile.

"Hey to you too," I return the smile and we hug. Leather and I are the same age and have somehow been in every class together since pre-school.

"Happy Hunger Games," He says.

"Happy Hunger Games," I reply, "You have a good feeling about today?"

"Oh yea I feel great!" he says, "It's like I'm walking on air!"

"Well then come back to the ground and eat with me," I laugh and he follows me into the kitchen. I make him some eggs and bacon and we dig in, laughing and talking as we go.

"Wow just think," I say after a few minutes, "One year ago today you told me you loved me and we started going out."

"Yep," he says, "I wanted to make a depressing occasion happy for use once we started having anniversaries and look, here we are, completely happy."

"Yea," I agree. Over the course of a minute, our hands find each other and our fingers intertwine.

"Nothing bad will happen to us," he says, "I promise."

"Ok," I murmur.

I am suddenly reminded of being scared all of the time at the reaping. My first time at the reaping, I was actually crying even before it had begun. Each year I had gotten slightly braver, but until now, I was always scared. Now the only thing I could be scared of would be losing Leather. He's brought me so much comfort that I couldn't bear losing him.

"What time is it?" I ask, wanting to know how much longer until the reaping.

"It's…" says Leather checking his watch, "It's eight o'clock so we have the rest of the mourning."

"What do you want to do?" I ask.

"Well," says Leather, pondering the question, "Let's go for a walk around town."

"Really?" I ask.

"Sure, why not," Leather smiles and leads me out the door and into the colorful streets of District 8.

The plaza has any and every type of clothing store you could think of including my family's store, there is a bridal boutique, and laundry store, anything and everything that has to do with clothing. After all this is the textile district.

To make it even more colorful, bright neon banners hang from balconies that were put up by the Capitol. It's their attempt to make it a real celebration, but I'm not fooled… no one is. We all know that it's a death sentence, that they are openly mocking us, punishing us from what happened Thirty three years ago, in a war that my great Grandfather fought and died in. To him, it was all worth it, but the war means nothing now except for a constant reminder that we can't win.

One day… things will get better. I just know it. It may not happen while I'm alive, but the districts will be free from the Capitol. They can't expect us to tolerate their mockery forever.

I push my thoughts aside and enjoy my walk around the District with Leather. We joke, laugh, talk, and every once and a while stop to say hello to someone we know. After about an hour, we reach the electrocuted fence that is draped with beautiful fabricated patterns on the poles in between each section of the fence to keep it up.

Here in District 8, no matter how ugly or evil things are, we sugar coat it with pretty fabric. If you ask me though, District 8 will be holding their frustration in so long that they'll be the first to start an uprising.

"Well," says Leather, "That's the end of the line."

"Yea…" I sigh.

We turn around and head back to the square.

It's still only nine o'clock. On the way back, we do the same of what we did on our way there, talk, laugh, and say hello to people we know.

When I say that we say hello, I mean we engage in ten minute small talk of:

"Hi, Happy Hunger Games."

"Happy Hunger Games."

"How are you?"

"Good, how are you?"

"Well, it _is_ the reaping today…"

Leather and I would laugh at the same joke over a million times and sometimes we'd re-say hello to the people we passed on our way to the fence, but this was hardly small talk. This was basically;

"Hi, again." And laugher for no reason other than to be friendly.

Being friendly usually doesn't help people get what they want though. Sure if you're friendly then people will _want_ to help you but if your _scary, or intimidating_, then you get what you want. Being friendly hasn't ever helped anyone in the arena.

Why am I thinking about this though? Life for me is great, I'm rich, I have a boyfriend, good grades, and great friends. Why am I being so cynical all of a sudden? I brush my ugly meanness away and smile.

"What's gotten into you?" Leather asks, taking note of my sudden happiness.

"Nothing," I say, "I'm just happy about my life. I have a feeling that today's going to be a good day."

**Well, that's Clover Wool, a girl from Disrtict 8 with a great life that it to be ruined by the Capitol. Aww... Well tell me what you think! Review!**


	5. Techno: District 3

**AN: Alright so the reaping is about to begin and this chapter will be about the final main character: Techno, a thirteen year old boy from District 3**

Chapter 5: Techno  
>District 3<p>

Buzzzzzz… I open my eyes and look at my buzzing, but awesome looking alarm clock. It reads: 9:30. I press snooze and turn over in my bed. We don't have to be in the plaza for the reaping until 1 o'clock.

Thirteen, I say to myself in my head. Today I turn thirteen. But my birthday is overlooked by everyone today, as it has been and always will be on the day of the reaping.

Not able to go to sleep, I drag myself out of my bed and slump my way into the cafeteria. Here, there are tons of kids lined up to eat mush, but since today is my birthday, I don't get mush. Instead, I get a nice, warm loaf of bread. This is a treat, but I'm not hungry, so I nimble at the bread until I decide to stuff it into my pocket and return to my room to prepare for the day. A few people wish me a "Happy Hunger Games… Oh and Happy Birthday!"

I reach my room and undress from my pajama's and reach for the only other cloths any of us here in the orphanage has; our uniform. There are two main orphanages in District 3: The rich one, and the poor one. Unfortunately, I was brought to the poor one, as are most orphans. Most of us were given away because of money problems of our parents, but the kids in the rich orphanage were given up for simply being unwanted.

After I undress, I run down the hall and take a shower. My light blonde hair is soaked as I bathe and after I finish washing off my tan skin, I grab a towel and quickly return to my room.

Really, I shouldn't say room. It's too small to be that. It's more like a tall box, big enough for me to sleep in and underneath that small bed is a drawer with my uniform. I dress quickly and find myself with nothing else to do but sit and wait.

I become bored and peek out my small window to view the playground, filled with the other laughing children. I could go out and join them now, but I think that I might join them later.

I sulk on my bed wishing that I had been born one day later. Because I was born on the same day as the reaping, I had to register the day I turned twelve and once I turn eighteen, I'll have to do it again for an extra year because when I turn nineteen, I'll still be 'eighteen.'

Mrs. Gold told me this when I turned twelve. Mrs. Gold is the head of the orphanage and seems to be the only adult here that actually cares about the orphans. All the teachers and event organizers seem to loathe the kids.

I sit and ponder about the reaping and The Hunger Games for a while longer. After what seems like forever, I stand up and stroll down to the playground. Once I'm there, I'm greeted by a chorus of 'Happy Birthday's from my group of friends. I casually thank them and we make our way to the swings.

"Can you believe how much extra homework teachers give over the holiday?" one says to start a conversation.

"Yea I know," agrees another.

"Why do you guys even care?" asks another, "It's not like you guys do it anyway."

This makes us laugh and the conversation grows, jumping from one subject to another. Being in the seventh year of school, we had begun learning about the other countries of modern day, which gave us much homework. Countries such and Unita Meridiem, a country that consists of what used to be known as Southern and Eastern Europe, which included France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and other countries, learning old countries was part of our studies but it's much harder as there are much less now.

Throughout it all though, I remain silent, merely observing and reacting. I'm usually talkative and energetic. But on my birthday I become gloomy knowing the fact that I'll be eligible as a tribute two more years than everyone else. It's depressing actually. Though by now, my friends know this and try not to put me in the spotlight. Usually my Birthday gloom lasts for a few days and I return to normal.

At the thought of me being able to say that though I was entered for the reaping two extra times and was never picked, I smile. One of my friends takes notice of this and smiles back, still not sure if I had outgrown my birthday gloom.

After a while of messing around, I find my mouth dry and return inside to get a drink. In the hallway, I go to the water fountain and after I drink, I look at myself in the mirror that hangs above the drinking fountain. My big green eyes and short blonde hair is what I see in my reflection.

I seem to have a subconscious epiphany and push my birthday gloom away and engage in the conversation with silliness and enthusiasm that I regularly show. A few of my friends are surprised, but don't question it, continuing as though I had never had my birthday gloom.

The time flies and the next thing we know, Miss Dubose, the meanest old teacher yet, calls us to form a line and head to the plaza.

In a mixture of seriousness and silliness, the children of the orphanage make their way to the plaza in a sort of line made up of clumps of orphans.

We pass the bright town that is made nearly completely out of electronic products. We reach the brightly lit plaza and are filed into our lines. It seems so strange that my birthday gloom was gone. I was back where I belonged: up in the clouds.

I look at the stage decorated with wires of which hang tiny light bulbs lighting it up even brighter than everything else. A plump man with bright baby blue hair and a light up yellow suit makes his way to the stage. His face has the patterns of lightning bolts all over it as though he wanted lightning to hit him, like he were trying to attract it. The mayor joined him as well as a few of the recent victors.

The short plump mayor makes her way to the microphone. I swear she must be ninety and from the Capitol. She is maybe four feet at most. Her big puffed up hair is up in a sort of giant bun and it is so grey it looks blue. She attires in a light blue dress to match her hair and her top red lip seems to be trembling. One could tell that she dislikes the Hunger Games.

The mayor begins to tell us about the History of Panem and how it rose from the ashes of the countries that once made up North America. After she finishes she takes a few small steps back and is taken from view when the electrified Capitol Escort. walks up to the microphone.

"And so," the escort says in a booming voice, "Now that it is our time to Reap for the reaping! I will now choose District 3's tributes!"

He almost shouted the word 'tributes' elongating it to make it sound extremely special.

"Well," He continues once he realizes his only reaction will be silence, "We shall choose Ladies first."

He reaches into the bowl and digs his hand deep inside of it. Picking one up right from the middle.

**AN: AND... Nothing. The next chapter will be about the reapings but don't worry, it will come soon enough. Review!**


	6. Capitol Television: The Reaping

**AN: Alright! It's finaly the reaping where everyone's character's will be fully anounced. Please Review!**

Chapter 6: Capitol Television  
>The Reaping<p>

"Here we are reporting live the 33rd national Hunger Games and as we say to the Tributes, may the odds be ever in your favor," announces an entirely pink woman with purple lips and golden eyes. It is the television broadcast across the entire country.

"Yes," says the tan man next to her whose face looks as though he had pinned his skin as far back as he possibly could. His face covered in blue stars.

"It is an exciting event," the man continues, "And here with us is Crassus, the man who interviews and shows the world the tributes for each Hunger Games."

The spotlight moves to a man with bright orange hair who makes his way to sit at the desk with the reporters. This is Crassus.

"Hey everybody," he smiles,

"Now tell us Crassus, didn't you and your wife just recently have a baby?" asks the interview woman.

"Why yes we did," Crassus replies in a voice that makes it almost seem like they've rehearsed their conversation over and over. While they talk to each other, their eyes never leave the screen, making it look as though they are talking to the camera.

"Well, what's the baby's name?" the woman asks eagerly.

"Well," Crassus chuckles in delight, "A bit nosey today aren't we," the woman blushes, "It's alright. His name is Caesar. I hope that one day He will take my place once I've retired."

"Well that would be interesting and now, onto the reaping!" says the man in a booming voice.

The screen switches to show District 1 as both the boy and girl are chosen. Afterwards, the escort calls for volunteers. One seventeen year old boy and eight teen year old girl walk up to the stage. Nothing new there.

"What are your names?" asks the escort.

"Jacob Diamond," says the boy, obviously proud to represent his District. He is extremely tall and muscular, making him look intimidating, but his boyish good looks throw a twist of charm into the mix. However, he is shirtless, showing off his muscles, and in gym shorts, obviously coming strait from the training center of District 1. His attire is somewhat disrespectful, but since he's from District 1, he'll get away with it.

"Glamour Divine" smiles the girl, shinning in her sparkling red dress. She too is proud to represent her District. She is very attractive and her brown wavy hair reaches half way down her back. She has beautiful dark brown eyes and an award winning smile, sure enough; she'll get a lot of sponsors, both will.

The screen then moves to District 2. The female is chosen as a fourteen year old girl and the red escort goes to the boy's ball. He digs his hand into the pile of slips in the ball and pulls one out. He walks to the center of the stage and calls the name: "Arma Treno."

With enthusiasm, a tall, muscular boy with black curly hair makes his way to the stage. He smiles the entire way until the escort calls for any volunteers. The girl is replaced by a eighteen year old volunteer but when the thirteen year old boy walks up to volunteer, Arma gives him a death stare as if to say, if you win, _I'll_ come kill you. The escort asks the boy if he's going to volunteer but instead he shrivels up and scurries back into the audience. Arma smiles as his dream is finally coming true.

"Alright so miss, what is your name?" asks the escort.

"Crescent Lyagh," she says. Her long blonde hair is braided and she has stunning green eyes. She attires in a pink dress with a silver headband. On her wrist is a silver bracelet. She has quite a large build for an eight teen year old.

The screen switches to District 3. Where the sixteen year old girl with long dark brown hair and beautiful blue eyes that match the color of her dress is called: "Aura Woodlock." She screams her head off in utter shock, just to be brought up to the stage.

The escort then chooses the boy: "Techno Electrique."

The camera focuses on a short, thirteen year old boy with light blonde hair and big green eyes. At first he has nothing but shock on his face, but then, he turns it into a smile and runs up to the stage eagerly. You can tell that he has a plan. The escort calls for volunteers but in this district, volunteers aren't found that often.

The screen moves to District 4. The buildings all look as though they were made out of sand. A tall skinny lady with bright green hair with blue highlights walks to the front of the stage as the mayor leaves from him telling the history of Panem. The green and blue escort picks the first name from the Ball and it reads: White Shark.

A twelve year old boy is paralyzed and he slowly makes his way to the stage. The escort then moves to the girl's ball and calls out: Moray Eel.

There is a sudden scream and a tan girl with shoulder length brown hair falls to the ground. The audience bursts out into laughter and the girl who has feinted is carried to the stage. The escort calls for volunteers but no one seems to hear her through all of the laughing. All but one. Bala stands and takes the place of his brother. Still, no one seems know that volunteers are going up. The escort's blue face turns red as she thanks District 4 and they all exit the stage, Moray is still unconscious.

The screen moves to District Five where the escort calls out the girls name: Edeline Crow. The screen moves to show a short fourteen year old girl with shoulder length red hair in a white dress with pink poka-dots. Her pale skin turns paler from pure fear of dieing. She slowly makes her way to the stage and the boy from District 5 is called next: Surge Cooper.

A tall, pale skinned seventeen year old boy steps out, completely void of emotion. He has short brown hair and shifting green eyes. He makes his way to the stage, and not one person could ever discover what emotion he was showing, because there was none. **(Think of Kristen Stewart's acting.)**

Then District 6 comes. The escort calls out the girl's name: Everlee Madett. There is no cry, or scream, only silence. A sixteen year old girl with wavy red hair that ends just below her shoulder steps forward. She has obviously prepared herself for this. She hides her fear and slowly walks to the stage, her light blue dress flows in the wind that seems to be trying to blow her away from the stage. She closes her big blue eyes and walks. She's very skinny.

There is then the reaping of a seventeen year old boy: Reinzac Chako. He is large and looks tough, attempting to give of the impression that he doesn't care. He wears a green button up shirt and kakis along with a light jacket. He scratches his head, not scared of messing up his brown hair as it is only a little longer than a buzz cut.

After that comes District 7. The brown and green escort goes up to the ball and grabs the first one that he finds. He reads it and a seventeen year old girl named Willow Spring is reaped. She yells her head of not in fear, but in anger. She is vicious as he is brought up to the stage by force. Then the time comes for the boy and once again, the escort chooses the first one he can find. He reads the name: Alder Black.

There is complete silence, then, slowly but surely, a pale seventeen year old boy with blondish brown hair makes his way to the stage.

The screen moves to District 8 where an actually normal looking woman in a fine ball gown makes her way to reap the next tributes. She delicately finds one with her hand half way buried in paper slips. She picks one and reads it aloud: Clover Wool.

A male's yelling voice is heard as he makes his way to a fifteen year old, doe eyed girl with short brown hair. He grabs her hand and drags her along away from the square but they are cut off by the peacekeepers. They hug and cry and she is brought to the stage.

Then, a thirteen year old boy: "Baxter Orkendale." The camera moves to him and his face has turned pale white. He's short, a little pudgy, and his round baby-face makes him look much younger than he is. His big blue bug eyes widen from the shock of being reaped, making his chestnut hair fall just above his eyes, his ears sticking out from his long hair. He starts to walk to the stage but finds trouble as his grey pants are too big on him. He stumbles his way through the crowd not even realizing that his red button up shirt is un-tucked.

The screen switches to District 9 where they call out the girls's name: Kraken Lazarus. She is a tall, wiry girl, basically all muscle and sinew with next to no fat on her and would be entirely bereft of curves were it not for her hips, which sort of jut out, like they're just about to poke through the skin. She has a dark complexion, and seems mixed raced with almond eyes, wavy black hair, and swarthy skin tone. Her hair's a wreck; unwashed, tangled, greasy, the works. It's shoulder length, with unusually long bangs, which she often has to brush away from her weird bright yellow-green eyes. Generally looks unwashed and wild, even after the makeover. But the thing that really gets everyone's attention is her reaction. She bursts out into laughter! Madly laughing her way out towards the stage. The peace keepers are about to hold her back at first until they realize that she's to be a tribute. But something gives them the feeling the game makers won't allow her to win.

Then the boy is called: Aadrash Mohina. An African American fourteen year old boy is shown. He has intense grey eyes that seem as though he is constantly analyzing things but now, he is frozen, not moving a muscle. It seems as though he's already given up and he's escorted by the peacekeepers to the stage. If one known him, they would know that he has depression.

Afterwards, District 10 reaps a thirteen year old girl. When they call out the thirteen year olds name, Oralae Cledgrep, a short and skinny girl's big brown eyes begin to tear up but she wipes them away. A brave young child, she pats and fixes the skirt on her pale pink dress and begins to walk to the stage when the small flower in her straight waist length brown hair falls out. She ignores it and is nearly on the verge of tears but holds them back. She mounts the stage and stands there bravely.

"Cledgrep," says the male reporter, "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Oh," says Crassus, "She must be the younger sister of Ellrie Cledgrep. She died in the Games a while back."

"Oh that's right," says the woman reported and the screen returns to finish the reaping at District 10 as the boy is called: "Bull Shooter."

A twelve year old boy with yellow blonde hair drops to his knees and sobs. He is small and fragile, and looks as though he is eight. He is carried to the stage where he then wipes away his tears. No one volunteers for the two very young tributes.

District 11 goes onto the reaping, the girl is called: Thalia Skyware.

A slender 17 year old girl with black pin straight hair, turns from side to side. She is terrified, but she quickly gains control of herself and makes her way to the stage. She attires in a pretty white lace dress and presents herself to the word as District 11's female tribute.

Then the boy: "Wolfbane Stride." The crowd expects to see a large tough guy but instead, the camera zooms in on a short lean fifteen year old with long black straight hair. He stands out from the crowd as he's not quite as dark as the rest and his milk chocolate brown eyes begin to tear up. His red and white jacket's sleeves are slightly torn; underneath it is a black shit, along with black dress pants. He trembles as he makes his way to the stage to take his place.

Finally, District 12 concludes with the girl's name is called: Rose Redbird. An eighteen year old girl with dark hair, blue eyes in all black clothing is calmly but surely walks to the stage. She isn't allowing any emotion to show.

Then they choose the boy: Graphite Ramirez.

He is fourteen and quickly makes his way to the stage, as if he's in a race to his death. He quickly takes his place and the reaping ends.

The screen returns to the reporters and Crassus sitting in their chairs as though nothing wrong has happened.

"Well I guess that will be the bunch I will be interviewing," laughs Crassus and the reporters laugh with him.

"So, that concludes the reaping for the Thirty Third Annual Hunger Games," says the woman and the programming ends with the seal of the Capitol.

**AN: there you are! Please Review!**


	7. Alder: The Final Meeting

**AN: Ok so this is is just afetr the repaing. The Games won't actually begin until later but several character will show up during the rotation of the five main characters.  
><strong>**  
><strong>Chapter 7: Alder  
>The Final Meeting<p>

No… No! It can't be me! But Cassandra, and Douglas… What are they going to do?... It's unfair is what it is… How can I be reaped? This was the second to last year… Through all the shock, I don't even realize where I am. I guess I was brought into the Justice Hall and into a secluded room with fine furniture and china. The couch is velvet and the curtains are tan.

Suddenly, the door opens and Cassandra and Douglas enter the room. Cassandra runs in with a huge smile on her face.

"You won Alder," she cheers, "You won!"

"Not yet," I smile back to her, I get on one knee so that we can talk face to face, "But I will."

Her face becomes quizzical and I feel this must be explained more.

"Cassandra," I say, "I'm going to have to leave, and I won't be coming back for a long time…"

"Well when are you coming back?" she asks.

"That's just the thing, I don't know if I will," I look up to Douglas, "You promise me that she won't watch the Games."

"I promise," he says.

"You'll win Alder," Cassandra says, "I know you will."

"I hope…" I say, "I promise that I will win."

"You have to," says Douglas and I stand to look at him eye to eye.

"Douglas, there's no guaranteeing…"

"You'll have to," he says again, "I don't know what I'll do if you don't."

Douglas has never been very affectionate, but in one shocking moment, he hugs me like there is no tomorrow, which in my case, there might not be. With a bang of the door beingf flung open, the Peace Keepers enter the room and force them out.

"Alder you have to win…" Douglas shouts his lasts words to me.

The doors slam close and I feel more alone than I ever have in my entire life. I stand in silence for what seems like eternity, not having a single thought cross my mind.

The doors slowly squeak open and I see my mom and dad.

"Mom, dad…" I mutter but Mom interrupts me with a hug. She begins to sob as she says: "It shouldn't have been you… My boy…"

"Mom, please," I say, but it's not out of annoyance, I say it with compassion and understanding. I stoke her long brown hair and she cries into my shoulder.

"You'll win," she cries, "know you will…"

Dad simply stands in the corner watching us. He is as stiff as a board and is as quiet as a mouse. Mom continues to smother me with tears and shouts but I don't pull away for a second, because in truth, I want to cry myself. I hug her as tightly as I can and I lock my hands together to ensure that I won't have to ever leave District 7.

The Peace Keepers barge in again and pull my mother away, not even noticing my dad in the corner. Mom and I reach out to each other as she's pulled away and the door is slammed shut… The Peace Keepers forgot my dad.

He calmly walks over to me and pats my shoulder.

"Good luck son," is all he says, not even looking at me as he says it. With that, he leaves the room and I feel the longing to hold onto my mother for only a second longer. At least a second. That's all I'll need to know that I'll be okay, but I can't be sure that I will ever get the opportunity to do that again.

I sit down on the velvet couch and I watch the sun sink into the earth. I won't be picked up for a few more hours.

The quiet sound of nothing can't even be heard and I think and wonder about what might be going on with Willow at the moment. Willow, a girl of whom I've gone to school with for several years, but not once had a class with her. Willow… humph, is there anyone in this District who isn't named after a type of tree? I laugh at my thought and the thought of trees brings leaves to my attention… Leaves…

I reach into my pocket and pull out a wrinkled leave. I ask the Peace Keepers to laminate the leaf for me and one of them leaves to do so. As I wait the door creaks open. I turn to see David.

"I'm sorry," is all he can blurt out before we are hugging, not really manly but hey, he's like the older brother I never had.

"I'm so sorry that I can't take you're place," he says.

"I don't want to go," I almost cry, "There were only two years left and I'd be out…"

"I know," he says but then he pulls me away, "Listen to me. You need to be strong ok. Ok? You can't sit around and ponder how things could been because this is how it is… You have to come back, and sitting here complaining that you were almost done with reaping isn't going to help you survive in that arena. You need to be strong, fast, and cunning. You're a great speaker; you can convince anyone of anything. Use that to your advantage."

"Ok," I reply, I am suddenly dazed and realize that he's right and that I have to stop whinning.

"Ok," he whispers. The Peace Keepers come in but David wouldn't let them touch him so he walks out on his own.

I look up at the clock and see that there is only about an hour left until I'll be shipped off to a train where I will be taken to a land of colorful freaks who find joy in watching children die.

**Please Review!**


	8. Arma: The Final Party

Chapter 8: Arma

The Final Party

Ha! I can't believe it! I was so upset when I wasn't chosen as the volunteer but hey I'm in it! And I'm going to win it all! That's all I've ever needed to know. That I can win! And now, I have my one chance to prove it! I had been escorted to a fancy room where my parents and family came to congratulate me. All who are from Districts 1-5 don't leave until tomorrow, as to have all the tributes arrive on the same day since we are much closer to the Capitol than other districts.

Now, I hear a knock at the door. I turn to see dozens of kids from my school coming in with snacks and drinks.

"Hey!" they all shout as they barge in.

"Guys," I say, "You know there's a three minute rule right."

"There is?" asks one guy, "Then I guess I should go have them give me my money back."

We laugh and they set the stuff on a nearby dresser. On of them brings in an IPod 4 thousand and turns on loud dance music and the party begins. There are tons of kids who congratulate me on my reaping and we laugh about the scared kid who ran up to volunteer.

"You just stared at him and he ran away like a little girl," laughs one of my friends and we all laugh with him.

They continue to party when I see the door open again and then shut. I push through the crowd and the lights are suddenly turned down really low. I make my way to the door but no one is there. But I know that someone came in. I smell the scent of blood. I search the ground and sure enough, it's there, I small puddle of blood.

I turn around to see who came in and I see a figure slide through the crowd. I follow the figure but once I reach the center of the room, I've lost him. I look around myself and just see a bunch of drunken teenagers falling on top of each other. I look at the ground and see a small trail of blood drops and I follow them to the window. Its sealed shut and the sides are covered by curtains… Curtains! I push them aside and I see the thirteen year old boy who had attempted to volunteer. He looked as though he had been crying. He suddenly realizes that I'm here and cowers.

"Are… are you going to hurt me too?" he asks.

At first I am shocked by what he's asking. Then I see what the clear answer is.

"No," I say, "I'm not in the Games yet."

This seems to amuse him. I look down to his hand and I see that it is gushing blood. I run to the bed and I tear off part of the fabric. I tie it around his cut on the palm of his hand.

"What happened?" I ask, "Who did this to you?"

"My dad," he says, "He was upset that I didn't go through with volunteering. He said that he'll never allow me to volunteer again and that I'm a disgrace to my family."

"You're not," I assured him.

"But now I don't know what I'm going to do…"

"Well, first you'll have to avoid you're father for as long as the Hunger Games last. You can stay by my house; tell my mom that you're a good friend of mine. Here's the address."

I take a sheet of paper and a pen and write down where I live.

"It will be easy to find," I assure him.

"Thank you," He whispers, "You're going to win you know, you're scary and you tracked me down easily…"

"Why thank you," I smile.

"However," he continues, "You do have one major weakness."

"Oh?" I ask, "And what is that?"

"You're mercy," he says, "Your kindness. They will not help you in the games."

I couldn't believe it, this thirteen year old kid must have been really well trained as he's already spotted my strengths and weaknesses. For a second I wonder how well he would have done… But I push this thought aside as I'm the one who will be in the Games. This young boy with black eyes and blonde hair has taught me something… That winning these games will be much harder than I thought it would be.

I sit with the boy and we wait in silence as a party in my honor continues without me even being there. After another hour has passed, the music is turned off and a boy drunkenly shouts my name.

"Arma?" he calls almost falling over, "Arma!"

I stand before he dies of sheer stupidity. He is standing on the bed and is still searching for me.

"What?" I shout.

"Oh," he says once he sees me. The room has become dead silent.

"Come here," he waves me over and I join him. He grabs my hand and lifts his bottle.

"To District 2's next Victor!" He shouts and there is an earful of cheers and screams from all and especially the 'Woo-Girls.'

The party continues and just as I make it back to the boy, the Peace Keeper's barge in.

"Alright!" a Peace Keeper shouts, "That's been long enough. Everybody out!"

They strip the room of teenagers and the boy is forced to leave. Just as he walks out the door, I realize that I never got the boy's name.

It's alright though, I'll get it when I get back…If I get back.

The time is now four in the morning, so I plop down of the bed and sleep, waiting for them to bring me to the train to the Capitol.

**Sorry, I know this part of the stroy is boring but it'll get there eventualy. Review!**


	9. Moray: The Train

**Alright! Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoyit!**

Chapter 9: Moray  
>The Train<p>

I wake up to the sound of the door pounding. I sit up to see that fresh new clothes have been laid out for me. Tan shorts and a blue blouse. I change and put the gift that my dad brought me in my pocket. I brush my teeth and comb my hair, wanting to make sure that I look good for the Capitol. If people like me, then I get sponsors, and if I get sponsors, then I have a better chance of going home.

Not that I'll need to do much worrying, I mean, I am a Career tribute aren't I. But still, I can't believe that no one volunteered for me. This District is full of well trained fighters and I'm not one of them. I guess Murla was right. But I'll show her. When I get back from the Games, I won't have to worry about people like her. I put a clip in my hair to keep it out of my face, but still have it down. It looks best that way.

I am sent lunch.

"What about Breakfast?" I ask but the avox doesn't respond. Instead, he just points to the clock and it reads: 11:30 A.M.

I eat my lunch and wipe myself clean of any crumbs or anything that could be left behind.

I walk out the door with a brave face and join Bala in the car to the train.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I reply. Suddenly, the blue and green escort joins us and says in a cheerful voice.

"So happy to meet you two," He smiles as he gets in the front passenger seat, "I'm especially happy that this year we have good looking tributes, last year we weren't so lucky."

I blush at his complement and we are suddenly driving through the streets of District 4.

"You're dad visited me yesterday," says Bala.

"He did?" I ask, "What did he say?"

"He asked for me to help take care of you, to protect you."

I am shocked that my dad would do this, but at the same time I understand why. He knows that I'm not ready for this, that I'll need all the help I can get. After all when I was reaped I did feint. I remember when he came to visit me.

He walked in the door with tears running down his face. We embraced in a long, forever lasting hug.

"Moray," He said to me, "You need to be strong, ok. You need to come back. I know you have it in you."

"Dad," I cried into his shoulder, "You don't have to lie for me. And you don't have to worry either. I'm a Career Tribute. I'll have help."

But I wasn't sure. What if they had decided that I was too weak for them, too weak to be a part of the Careers. I would have to prove them wrong. The training would be my only chance.

Dad pulled away and gave me a small sculpture. It was a figurine of a Milofish.

"What's this for?" I asked him as he put it in my hand.

"For good luck," he replied, "Moray, I would please ask you to hold onto this as your token."

"Of course," I cried and we hugged again…

I was suddenly reminded of the reaping.

"How did you react?" I ask, "When you were reaped I mean."

"Well, my younger brother was reaped, so I had no choice but to take his place."

"That's very brave of you," I say, "Have you been trained?"

"Somewhat," he says, "Just enough so that I can use a spear well enough."

"Oh," I say, "Do you think that District 3 will be included for the Careers this year?"

"Depends," Bala says.

"Depends on what?" I ask.

"Depends on what they have to offer," he smiles and my heart stops.

There's no way they will keep me as a Career, I'll be on my own and unable to do anything.

"Don't worry," he says as though he's read my mind, "I promised your dad I'll take care of you and I will."

I stare at him with little expression, not knowing how to react to this. I understand the compassion of it all when my dad says it, but Bala uses that face and tone when you know he is processing a plan. It's as if he's strategically planning my demise and my success.

For a second I'm scared but then I realize that I don't have to be at the mercy of others. Anyone who has ever won these games took charge of their destiny and that is something that I need to learn how to do and soon.

The car stops and we are pulled out. Cameras are flashing everywhere for the Capitol's next magazine and for people to figure who to bet on. I faintly smile at them and we are walked onto the train.

"Haha!" cheers our escort, "They like you! They really do! Oh this year is going to be great I can just tell."

Bala and I exchange looks as to how to react to our escort's craziness. But before we can hold it in we both burst into laughter. The escort stops jumping around when he hears this and stares at us as if only he can be happy and no one else can.

We put ourselves to silence and the escort leads us into a beautifully decorated dining cart with mahogany tables and chairs with fine fabrics. Crystal chandeliers hang from above the table and I feel as if I'm dreaming. I stare at the place in awe but the escort hurries us through bringing us to our rooms.

I enter the room and I feel like I'm a princess. Sure enough, a light blue night down that looks like I could wear to an evening party is set on the bed before me. Crazily giddy, I hope out of my clothes and dress in the light blue silk dress. Underneath it is a blue ribbon that is to be tied across my abdomen. I tie it around myself, putting it into a bow on my back. I put on the sandy colored slippers and head to the dinning room to get water or hot chocolate. As I walk out of my room I open the door to see two shadows cross the hall. They look weary and almost relived, as if they are scared of battle. These must be our mentors.

I creep myself back into the bedroom and find that there is actually a control panel to order things, but I am no longer thirsty. I am distracted by who could be our mentors as District 4 has had many victors.

I lie on the soft sheets and think to myself, wondering who they could be… I guess that I'll find out in the mourning.

**Alright, I know that you guys must not be interested in a lot of these chapters because your characters aren't in it, but please still review. The next chapter is clover as I have been puuting them in order of oldest to youngest and Moray is slightly older than Clover. Clover's chapter will consist of mainly her, her mentor, and Baxter, the boy from Distrcit 8. Please review!**


	10. Clover: Meeting the Mentors

**AN: Alright so This is when Clover meets her mentor. District 8's tributes are really the only ones whose mentor's get names becauseI didn't feel like making up more. Also, before anyone freaks out at me for having two mentors, I would like to remind you that in the books the only reason Peeta and Katnis share a mentor is because He's the only living mentor left in District 12. the other tributes got their own mentors.**

Chapter 10: Clover  
>The Mentor<p>

"You have to come back," Leather says as we embrace in a hug, "You need to come back. I can't live without you…"

"I can't…" I cry.

"You can… you must… do whaterver you have to..." He says, "I love you…"

But the Peace Keepers barge in and take him away but he fights it, trying to remain in the room.

"Promise me Clover!" He shouts as he's dragged out, "Promise me you'll win!"

"I promise" I cry back in a shout, "I'll come back!"

But he's already gone….

I wake up screaming: "I'll come back!" but I am in my bedroom, on a train, halfway to the Capitol.

I take a good look at my surroundings. The room is nice, but I would prefer to be back at home. He tried to escape with me… I can't believe he would do that. When the called me to the stage he told me that he'd volunteer and that we could do this together, but I told him no and that I wanted him to live a long and happy life. This I had done with much remorse… I sit up and realize that I had slept in my clothes, a pink dress with orange lace on my torso.

I tip toe into the bathroom and prepare for the day. Today we are going to meet the mentors. I need to look presentable. I need to get back home. I brush my teeth and strip myself of clothing. I enter the hot, drizzling shower and simply bask in its smoothness for a while. Afterwards I clean myself and exit the shower. I step on a panel and I am dried off completely from head to toe. This whole process would have taken me five times longer back home.

Are all showers like this in the Capitol? I wonder, but find myself not really caring. I return to my room to find an avox giving me my old cloths, which they had washed, dried, and pressed with in minutes. I thank the avox and redress into my clothing. I then turn to the chair next to my bed and see the dark green scarf that my dad had given me the day before. It's to be my token.

I put on some shoes and I quietly make my way out of the room and into the hallway. Quiet as a mouse, I make my way to the dinning cart.

Like District 8, it is draped from head to toe with much cloth, hanging curtains and other materials. It's actually stunning to look at as the entire room is draped in colors like orange and yellow, red and pink, and then the light bits of blue here and there.

I sit at the table and I am served pancakes with orange juice. I take a bite and I'm suddenly mesmerized by the flavor. I pretty much inhale the food and drink set before me and finish just as the boy from my district walks in the room, Baxter, I believe his name is.

"Hi," I say sheepishly. He nods and sit across from me at the table, immediately beginning his breakfast. I guess it's better this way. I wouldn't want to become friends with someone who might become the cause of my death anyway. Though it's also very possible that we might die in the bloodbath, no one from our district would have any type of skill to help us win it anyway… There I go again.

No, I say to myself. Others from District 8 have won and you can to, I reassure myself. As the boy finishes he looks up and gives a feint smile.

Then I get a good look at Baxter. I suddenly recognize him from the school. He's two years younger than me but still, I know him. At school, he doesn't have many friends as most of the kids pick on him. I would always be sad for him but I would never really do anything. I don't understand why they pick on him, as he seems very sweet. I guess all of the bullying has made him sheepish. I'm willing to bet all those kids feel bad about being mean to him now. Still, I mustn't dwell on what others think.

Suddenly, two middle aged people walk into the cart. One is a pudgy man with long brown hair and the other a dainty woman with puffy blonde hair. They sit at the ends of the table and begin to eat in silence. It feels awkward and I am unsure of what to say.

"So how do you usually start this sort of thing off?" I ask but I feel myself regretting my words as they slip out of my mouth.

"With patience," says the woman.

"To hell with that," says the man, "Hi, I'm Macy. You must be Clover right?"

I nod and look at Baxter who is still as silent as a stone.

"Well, let me tell you that in order to win this thing then you need skill. Now what can you do?" says Macy

I think but nothing comes to mind.

"I don't have any skill…" I say but then I think of something, "I mean, I can cook…"

Then I realize that this won't help me in the games.

"You can cook huh?" says Macy.

"Yes Sr." I say owning up to what I had said.

"What do you like to cook?" Macy seems amused by me.

"Mostly breakfast," I admit, "Like eggs and stuff."

"See," Macy exclaims, "Now you have something. Learn to climb and maybe you can find a bird's nest. Just be careful when you start fires. Start them at sun rise or at dusk so you won't be spotted."

I suddenly realized that I wasn't so helpless after all.

"I can sow too," I add.

"Really," questions the woman, "Well almost everyone from District 8 can do that. That is how Macy and I had won. Sowing can prove to be very useful in these Games. You can make snares, stitch up wounds, anything really as long as you have a needle and a thread."

"But don't think you'll get it from the Cornucopia. The fact is that when I tried there was nothing that I could see…" begins Macy.

"That's not true," interrupts the woman, "They just have a little, and it might become hard to find. You just have to convince the game makers to put it there during training."

The two clearly don't get along but they've both taught me something. Even the smallest of talent can be used in the games.

"Wait?" says Baxter, "I thought the tributes were taught separately. No offence but I don't want anyone else to know what I'm going to do in the games."

"Well training styles are up to the tributes. Do you want to be trained separately?" asks the woman and Baxter slowly nods.

I feel at offended but then I realize that I've already revealed some of my own secrets to him and that he's right. We're going to be killing each other. We're not partners.

"Alright," says Macy, "I'll take the girl, but first, we have already agreed to have you both watch some reruns of Hunger Games in which people from District 8 survived. Particularly mine."

We move over to a couch but Baxter and I sit in the chairs instead. He's so quiet it scares me.

Macy pops in a disc and the screen opens to show the tributes being raised into the arena. It appears to be underground and is made up of several pathways and tunnels. The Games begin and several run to the Cornucopia. Macy runs there, but quickly runs away with little supplies. A high amount of people are killed in the bloodbath: fifteen, one of the highest amount of bloodbath kills ever. Even two of the Careers are dead. The Games continue and three die from a lack of oxygen, one dies from falling into a pit. An eighteeen year old boy from District 12 has no trouble in his environment. He must have been a miner just before he went into the games. The rest are killed off until there is just Macy and the boy from District 12 left, an odd last two since usually a Career tribute makes it very far.

However, they are on completely different sides of the arena. Giant snake mutations begin to chase them and Macy runs by a few of the snares that he had created. It stops and distracts the snakes long enough for Macy to escape but the boy from District 12 wasn't as lucky.

"That was horrible," I say.

"Yea," Macy replies, "I hope that the ending showed you just how important snares can become."

A flicker of hope runs through me. Macy has shown me that it's possible to return home. I turn to Baxter and he seems to have realized the same thing.

**I hope you enjoyed it! please review!**


	11. Techno: The Capitol

**Time to meet the stylists, but this is more about the reaction to the Capitol. Hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 11: Techno  
>The Capitol<p>

Aura asks to be trained separately, but that's ok. I'm going to be a Career. No I haven't trained and I know that District 3 isn't always considered a Careers District but if my plan works, their curiosity will force them to put me with them. I clutch onto my token, a small cylinder looking gadget that I created after the reaping.

A few of my friends had come to see me but I paid most of my attention to this gadget, this small piece of metal that will win me the Games. I won't tell anyone what it does; otherwise, it will be worthless.

My Mentor keeps on trying to talk to me and I listen, but I don't respond. She feels that the Careers are cheap and that it would be stupid to try and become allies with them but to me, I feel that they are the key to victory. However, I must show my mentor respect because once I am forced to leave the Careers, I might need sponsors.

Aura left with her mentor so we sit at the table and the avoxes come in to serve us lunch.

The food is wonderful and I take my time eating it, savoring every bite. Afterwards. Aura and her mentor reenter the room and we sit on the couch to watch the reaping to check out our competition.

"Yay," she says sarcastically, "Let's see who's going to kill us."

I let out a small chuckle. She's not hard to like, and she can be funny. For a second I feel as though she could join me, and with me, join the careers. However I can't ask that of her. Not with her wanting to train separately.

"What are you staring at?" she asks in a almost sort of chuckle as I have been looking at her for a while, trying to figure out my strategy.

"What?" I ask, "Oh, nothing."

"Ok," she shrugs and this time it's the mentors who laugh. She's sixteen, an average age for the Games but ages like thirteen and twelve are considered young and I wonder if the rest of Panem had young tributes as well.

And then the television goes on and we watch the reapings.

A few stick out mostly like the Careers. Especially one, a girl who feinted when she was called. Will she be permitted to still be a career? I wonder but then move on thinking that she'll probably die in the bloodbath. Out of the Careers, the ones who stick out most are the two boys from District 2 and District 1 as both look as though they can kill you by simply looking at you. I watch my own district's reaping and admit that I am rather proud of how I handled things if I must say so myself.

Then the outside Districts pull up and I watch them all being called up to the stage. The reaping moves on and the one girl from District 9 scares me, as she laughs her way to the stage. She's mad! She continuously laughs and I fear that she might be a problem for everyone.

Then there's a girl from District 10 who goes up with a heart broken look in her eyes, the announcer says that she is the younger sister of one of the Games recently and deceased tributes. There are more younger children this year than usual, meaning it should go by fast.

As the anthem plays on the screen to end the program, I leave to go to my room. I quickly shuffle into my quarters and begin to do some finishing touches for my gadget. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and my mentor came in. Her name is Chloe.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Putting in the finishing touches on my token," I say and she leans in to examine my gadget.

"I'm not sure they'll let you use that as your token," she says but I ignore her.

They will have to let me use it because there's nothing there that they can find. Let them search it, break it down and rebuild it. It doesn't matter because its job is simple…

The girl from District 3 and her mentor enter the room.

"We're here!" exclaims the mentor and I rush to the dinning cart to look out the window.

I take one good look at the Capitol and I have only one way to describe it: weird. It's huge and high tech and all, but the people there look as though they are colorful zombies who are trying to tear their skin by pinning it to the back of their heads.

The bright colors of the people there hurt my eyes and I back away in fear that I'll go blind.

After I had been picked, my birthday gloom had returned with resentment for the Capitol. Just when I had found myself ok with the reaping, they pick me to go die. However, once training starts, I'll need to get rid of my gloom and make myself as likable as possible. I'll need to become a Career to win this. So as a result, I'm letting out my gloom now.

The train eventually stops and we step off of in and we are swarmed by millions of cameras. I give a brief smile and am led quickly into a car that drives away in a hurry.

As we pass the streets of the Capitol I begin to feel nauseous. Not because of the Games, but because of the way people dress here. It's like someone puked color on them and none of it is the color that humans have naturally and there's a reason people don't naturally have green hair.

The car stops in front of a magnificent building and we are unloaded from the car. More photographers and news reporters focus their cameras on us as we are walked into the building. We are immediately put into separate room where we are attacked by stylists.

I am pt onto what resembles a hospital bed and they go over every inch of my body. They clean and inspect to in search of any flaws to fix before they bring in the head stylist

They are soon done with me and I lay naked on a table. It feels drafty so I take the robe and attire myself with it. Soon, the head stylist walks in and she's the worst of them all, her skin is dark brown but that must be her natural skin color as everything else about her is electric blue. This includes her overly long eyelashes.

Oh no," she snaps in a heavy Capitol accent, "Take that robe off. I'll need to see your exact size for this look to work."

I'm a little hesitant but I eventually do as she says. She takes measurements of me and writes them down.

"Um," I mutter, "What exactly am I going to be wearing?"

"You'll see, but it will be tight so I suggest you prepare yourself."

What could it be? I wonder hoping that it won't be something stupid. The assistant stylists are summoned into the room with the fabrics and I am saddened to find out that it really is the most ridiculous thing for a young boy to wear…

**Next chapter will be the parade! And a special District that is of not the main characters, will get a lot of attention from the sponsors. I would like you to guess which District it will be between the following: District 1, District 5, District 6, District 9, District 10, District 11, or Distroct 12. One will get a very positive review from the sponsors, the other will get very very negative reviews from the sponsors. Review!**


	12. Alder: The Tribute Parade

Chapter 12: Alder  
>The Parade<p>

After hours of fittings, Willow and I are finally brought to the chariot building. I'm wearing what resembles my regular lumberjack uniform except this is much flashier with the intricate wooden and leaf designs. It's basically overalls though. Meanwhile, Willow, who turns out to be vicious and nearly impossible to tolerate, is dressed in an elegant dress that looks as though she's been wrapped in a leaf with the dress turning brown from the knee down to resemble a tree. As a prop, I am handed and axe and they hand her a staff that resembles a branch.

I am very found of our outfits and truly believe that they are clever except I worry that during the parade she will hit me on the head with her staff.

I take a look around and see that many of the other costumes are clever too. The simplest of all is District 8 which looks as though they dressed them in a simple light blue dress and a tux. But hey, it looks good. The most elaborate costume would be the kids from District 5 who are dressed in factory outfits and are sprinkled in glowing green stuff that looks like radiation. The stylist has done a truly excellent job for them. I spot the stylist talking to them and a small dark boy reaches up to her. I'm guessing her son.

"Not now Cinna!" she shouts and the boy turns to run off and play.

It is almost time for the parade and all of us mount our chariots. The large double doors open to a cheering audience and the District 1 Tributes ride out to greet them in their usual jeweled outfits.

Then rides in the tributes from District 2, who are dressed to resemble the Peacekeepers.

District 3 follows them and I feel bad for the thirteen year old boy in the tight black spandex suite designed with blue lighting patterns. It looks very uncomfortable.

Behind District 3 comes District 4 whose clothing resembles the ocean waves. Draping them is netting, a cape for the boy and a shall for the girl, highlighting that they are from the fishing District.

Behind them come the tributes from District 5. Their green glow immediately grabs the attention of all in the crowd and I know that they are going to have a lot of sponsors. They far outshine District 6, who rolls out in their train conductor costumes but are unnoticed by the crowd. I fear the same will happen to us as we are pulled out onto the colorful streets of the capitol. Many are still watching District 5 but there are several who turn their attention to the other Districts, clearly unenthused by our bland outfits.

Darn and I thought our outfits were really good.

I turn to see Willow's expression but she's still angry.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

"Shut up," she snaps at me and jerks her head to the crowd of people.

I am a little angered by her behavior but ignore it for the time being, I'll talk about it with the mentors later.

I glance behind me and see Districts 8 and 9 roll out. The tributes from 9 look as though they had bathed in grain that stuck onto their bodies.

I continue to wave to the crowd and smile. As we turn the corner to go down the next street I am able to see the remaining Districts as they parade down the street.

District 10 is dressed in a design that resembles a cow.

After them, I am shocked to see that the tributes from District 11 look rather beautiful in what looks like corn stalks.

However, the most shocking is when I see District 12. Usually they are dressed in coal mining outfits, but this year, they focused on the coal dust, which is the only thing that they wear. I don't think that they'll get many sponsors this year.

We continue through the Streets of the Capitol and the people are dressed in colors that are far over exaggerated and I am reminded of looking at a basket full of bright Easter eggs that have been thinned out.

We eventually reach the main square where President Bird stands. His hair is pitch black but the sides are white, reminding me of a mockingjay. Once all of the chariots have assembled, he walks up to the microphone and begins his speech.

"Welcome," he announces and silences the crowd at the same time, "To the 33rd Annual Hunger Games! And to our young, brave tributes, I say onto you; May the odds be _ever_ in your favor."

The speech is long and boring so I spend most of the time looking at the jumbo screen. The cameras switch back and forth from each tribute and President Bird. However, District 5 is getting most of the screen time. _Damn them_ I mutter under my breath. I need sponsors.

However, I'll be able to manage, maybe even talk some people into making an alliance and sharing their supplies with me, I can be very convincing when I want to be. However, I would not swoop down to the lowest level possible and join the careers. That's unspeakable.

Us not getting screen time will mean that Willow won't get many sponsors either, and the sooner that she's gone the better. _This is what the Games will be all about,_ I think to myself, _Turning your disadvantages into an advantage._

The speech is over and the chariots turns us around and form another line, putting us in the same order we came out in, and we drive back to the Training Building.

"You know being a little friendly never hurt anyone," I whisper to Willow.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" she interrogates me and whips her head around to face the crowd once more. She angers me so much! It's like she's able to crawl under my skin and attack every weak spot I have and if there's one thing that I can't stand, it's someone who's rude and mean.

It's taking me all I've got to not push her off the chariot or yell my head of at her. But then I see the smiling audience and I wave to them, hoping that one of them might be rich and give me stuff.

I realize that Willow has shown me my greatest weakness. I'm easy enough to get along with, but I have an extremely fast temper. Cassandra is the only one who washes that temper away and I might never see her again.

I gulp and smile, waving to the people of the Capitol. That is when we are brought back into the Training building and the doors shut behind District 12.

We dismount our chariots and are greeted by our happy mentors, escort, and stylists.

"You guys looked great!" rings our escort.

"However," says my mentor, "District 5 may have created a problem for us getting you sponsors."

"That's alright," I say, "I'll fix that in the interview."

My mentor smiles and we walk to the elevator to go up to the seventh level and are brought to an exquisite dining room to celebrate the first day of preparation for The Hunger Games.

**So? Congrats to Surge Cooper and Edeline Crow from District 5 for havind far outshinned all other tributes! I had their stylist be Cinnna's mom because Cinna must have learned his tatics from Somewhere. Tell me what you think! And I'm very sorry to those from Distrcit 12.**


	13. Arma: Training Day 1

**Alright! It's the first day of Training and most of the other tributes are introduced to the main characters.**

Chapter 13: Arma  
>Training Day 1<p>

I sit on my bed and think to myself. Damn District 5! I punch the pillow but it's no use, it doesn't get my anger out one bit. They've taken all the sponsors! Not that I care because once we get to the cornucopia we'll have all the supplies we need but what if they don't provide us with anything? They did that one year and the tributes all had to survive on their own. I have to admit though that it was very entertaining but at the moment I am wishing that that won't be the case.

I lie down and try to rest. I'll get all of my anger out tomorrow at the training center. There I'll meet my fellow Careers and we'll decide who to take out at the bloodbath and strategize from there based on what they do. I've been preparing for this my whole life and I've got every bit of my plan down.

I calm myself down and rest. I have no dream and it's all just simple darkness. I wake up what seems to be only a few seconds later but when I look at the clock, I've been asleep for hours. I still have some time left to spare. Either way I wash off quickly and make my way down to the Training Center, being escorted by my mentor, who hasn't said a word to me yet, but I don't care. I'll win with or without him. The elevator goes to the lowest level and the doors open with a ding. I walk into the training room to find that it resembles a gymnasium with tons of stations. I am but the second to arrive. The first is the boy from District 1. Jacob Diamond.

"Hey," I call to him and he looks over. His arms are crossed and he's huge! It's amazing. I'm big but compared to this guy, I'm tinny.

"Hi," he says through his teeth.

"Arma," I say introducing myself.

"Jacob," he replies and we shake hands.

"So," I say, "I'm guessing that you'll be sticking with the careers? You won't run off or anything?"

"Please," he says, "I'll pretty much be the leader of you guys."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," I say with a chuckle.

"What?" he asks.

"What I mean is that I have a lot to give to the careers. I'll be very valuable as a leader trust me. But, let's let the others decide who'll be the leader."

At this Jacob laughs so hard it looks as though someone had punched him in the stomach.

"Oh," he sighs, "Alright, District 2, you're on."

We smirk and even though this guy could honestly kill all of the careers in the blink of an eye, I find myself beginning to like this guy, and I think that it'll be easy enough to be friends with him.

There is the sound of a ding and we turn around to find both tributes from District 4 come in and join us. The girl is short and, based off of her reaction at the reaping, she's weak.

"Hi," says the boy. I think his name is Bala, "I guess it's just a thing for the careers to arrive early."

"She's not welcome as a career," says Jacob. Apparently, we think alike.

The girl's face turns pale, as though she had been expecting this. For a moment, I feel a little sympathetic, but then I forget about it.

"She'll be useful trust me," says Bala, "She's great at catching fish, I've seen her and her dad do it. And she's a good swimmer. You never know when one of those can come in handy."

"Be quiet," says Jacob, "She'll have to prove her worth."

The girl, her name comes to me, Moray, buries her face in her hands, just to lift it and seem suddenly determined to be a career. She and Bala turn to discuss something and I take advantage of the time.

"Jacob," I call and he tilts his head to show that he's listening, "Let's not tell them until lunch. On the first half of the day, we'll focus on her, second half focus on leader, and tomorrow we'll decide which tribute to kill from the beginning, till end."

He nods in agreement.

The girl and boy from District 3 show up. Aura and Techno. Sometimes District Three is allowed to join the Careers and I wonder if this will be the case this year. However, they'll need to show us something they can offer before we go and let them in.

The elevator doors open again and Glamour Divine, probably the prettiest career in the Games yet. She struts in and joins Jacob and I.

"Hey," she smiles and when the boy from three glances our way she gives him the meanest look I've ever seen, forcing him to turn away. She then turns back to us with a smile on her face.

"So why is District 4 over there?" she asks, "Are they not in the Careers this year or something?"

"We'll explain once all of us are here," I explain and she just nods her head and fixes her gold ring.

There is another ding and there is a whole group of people, the two from District 7, the girl from District 5 who is still slightly sparkling green, and the boy from District 6. I replay the reaping in my mind to remember their names. Eventually it comes to me. Edeline will be trouble after the bloodbath because I am certain she'll have a lot of sponsors, but I'll get to her first. The real problems are the boys from 6 and 7; Reinzac and Alder. They are both large and seventeen, but Alder looks more vulnerable and soft than Reinzac. Then there's Willow from District 7, she's vicious and I begin to hope that she gets blown up before the bloodbath because she will be a tough opponent. I look over to Jacob who seems unfazed by the other tributes. Willow immediately departs from the group to do her own thing.

The doors open again to reveal Crescent. She walks over to join us.

"You're late," I hiss.

"Doesn't matter," she snaps back, "Why are the two from District 4 over there?"

"Ok, you remember how she feinted at the reaping?" I ask and her and Glamour nod, "Well, for the first half of the day, we're going to evaluate whether or not she's worthy to be a career."

"Alright," says Glamour with a beautifully evil grin.

There's another Ding of the door opening and Everlee and Kraken make their way out. Everlee is an optimistic and kind from what I can gather but even so, she makes her way to the boxing area and nearly punches a hole into the punching bag.

Eventually everyone has arrived and I survey the tributes around me. Just for us to be dismissed. Jacob, Bala, Glamour, Cresent, and I clump together and watch Moray and see what she can do.

She first takes a spear and throws it, hitting the dummy in the crotch. That would hurt oh so badly but it's not fatal. She begins to get nervous and throws another just to hit it in the shoulder. Useless! I think to myself. Her forehead begins to beat with sweat and she moves onto the snare station. This is what comes to impress us. She makes her snare within seconds and perfectly done.

That's when she begins to talk to another girl at the snare station. The one from District 8, Clover. She looks over and sees our disproval and goes on to other stations. After a while we've seen enough and go onto other activities. After a few minutes of lifting weights, the lunch bell is rung.

Everyone heads to the cafeteria to eat. For lunch, I grab myself some fruit, a sandwich, and a glass of water along with one or two biscuits. Being given everything your whole life makes you not want or need things as much as others.

We all sit down. Bala, Jacob, Glamour, Crescent, and I exclude Moray in order to make a decision for her.

"She doesn't have much to offer," says Crescent right away.

"She'll get there I promise," Bala assures us.

"We've been training our whole lives," I say, "It won't be fair for us to allow her to join and free load off of us."

"What harm could she be really," Bala insists, "You never know, she might just surprise you."

"I'm sorry but no," says Jacob, "We can't allow it."

"Send her over," I order Bala.

He walks over to Moray and tells her that we have made up our mind. She walks over to the table and her eyes widen.

"Don't drink that!" she shouts to Glamour who is about to take a sip of her water.

"Why not?" she whines, "I'm thirsty." By now, everyone turns and is staring at us.

"Because," she says, "It's salt water, can't you see how it almost fizzles and you can see the salt."

Suddenly a bunch of tributes all over the room spit out their water and go to throw up.

"See," says Bala, "I told you she has stuff to contribute, if it weren't for her, you would've gotten sick."

This certainly changes things, what if she's the only one who can tell the difference between poisoned water and drinking water.

"Welcome to the Careers," I say after we all come to an agreement via our eyes.

Moray smiles and she and Bala go to grab her food tray to join us. While their gone I lean in to the other Careers. Jacob and I seem to have had the same thought again.

"If that's all she's got then once she finds us a water supply she'll be of no more use to us," says Jacob.

"But it will have to be a gradual thing," I say, "We'll need to find a reason to kill her. The rest nod and we return to normal. I look over and see Bala and Moray staring at us and I think they suspect but who cares, we'd be able to kill them before they even try to betray us. The two come to join us and we move onto the subject of leadership.

"Alright," says Jacob, "Now, Arma and I have been having a discussion as to which of us should be the leader of the Careers. We have decided to show you what we have to offer and allow you to decide."

The others nod and lunch ends. We are returned to the training center where the others observe Jacob and I do several activities. When it comes to weapons, he seams best at using swords, but I have something a little more interesting. My weapon of choice is the Flanged Mace, a stick that it connected to a chain with a spiked ball at the end. It is hard to control but is a very deadly weapon. This weapon is also called a flail, but Glamour seems unimpressed.

"What?" I ask her.

"Nothing," she laughs, "It's just that you think you're so unique using that weapon when in truth, I use that weapon too."

What? A pretty girl like Glamour using this thing? I don't believe it. But judging on the seriousness of her face, I can tell she's not kidding. Through it all, I discover that Jacob is much stronger than me, but I am way faster, and we both do pretty well with our weapons.

"Alright," I say, "So, who wants who to be the leader? Whoever wants me, stand over by me, likewise for Jacob."

They do as their told and one by one, they choose a side. Glamour chooses Jacob and Crescent chooses me, both out of respect for their districts. The real question would be about Bala and Moray. Bala moves first, taking my side, and Moray just stands there thinking. I'm in the lead! But then she walks over to Jacob, it is a tie! I officially hate Moray.

"So now what?" asks Jacob.

"I guess we can be co-leaders," I suggest and he thinks it over for about half a second and agrees.

**And that's the first day of training! Sorry there's so much focus on the Careers but the careers are always really important to a hunger Games story. The next chapter will be more about the tributes in training. Review!**


	14. Moray: Training Day 2

**Second Day of trainong and this time its more about the tributes!**

Chapter 14: Moray  
>Training Day 2<p>

I got in! For the first time since I got reaped I'll gotten a truly restful sleep. Training for today is over, so now Bala and I are in the elevator on our way up.

"Why?" he asks and I admit that I'm puzzled.

"Why _what?_" I ask.

"Why did you choose Jacob?" he asks.

"Because if I hadn't, I would've gotten on Jacobs bad side for sure, at least with choosing him, I made them both leader so they can't hold anything against me yet. Besides, if I had followed your decision, I would seem like a puppy, following its master around everywhere with no mind of its own. If I want to last a least a small amount of time with the Careers, I'm going to need to show some independence…"

This throws him off guard. He must not have expected me to have a specific reason for doing what I did. And what did I do? I bought myself some time.

"Besides," I say finishing my thought, "They'll eventually betray me anyway. As soon as I mess up… You saw them talking to each other. I'm no use once I've found them drinkable water."

Bala has become silent. He is once again trying to form some sort of plan, but it appears that nothing is coming to mind.

The elevator reaches our floor with a 'DING' and we walk out. We are greeted by our mentors who ask us questions similar to that of a parent after their child's first day at a new school: "How was it?" or "Did you do anything productive?" stuff like that.

I quickly eat my dinner and make my way to wash off. After I shower, I dry and put on fresh new clothes. I climb into the soft bed and attempt to get some sleep, but I can't. Tomorrow is the last day of training before they give us our scores. That plus the fact that once I find water, I'll be useless to the other Careers. I'm going to have to make other alliances just in case, and once I'm in the arena, I'll need to pack an emergency bag if the time ever comes that I must flea from the Careers.

Either way, I'm determined to get back home, only I know that my chances are very slim. Not as slim as some of the others though. As far as I can gather from the others, a lot of the other tributes are having trouble with sponsors due to District 5's appearance at the Parade. We may not need to worry about sponsors but many of the other districts do.

I am restless in my bed so eventually I simply give up and get up to get a glass of water just to give myself something to do. I walk out of my room and towards the dining room. Quiet as a mouse, I make my way around the floor, but can't seem to find anywhere that I can get water. I return to my room and notice that on the table is a key board. I touch it and the bright screen comes to life. I select water and it is immediately brought in.

I slowly drink it, trying to find yet another reason to stay away. My attempts to find a reason come to no avail and I am forced back into my bed. Eventually I do get tired and fall asleep only to wake up what seems like three seconds later. In truth, it's been seven hours since I fell asleep.

I quickly change into a uniform with blue lining, each District having a different color lining. White is for 1, red for 2, yellow for three, blue for 4, neon green for 5, and so on and so forth.

I make my way into the dinning room to see Bala is already sitting down and is finished with his breakfast.

"Why haven't you gone down yet?" I ask as I make my way to the table to eat.

"I didn't want you to be the last one there so I waited," He replied.

"Thanks," I say unsurely, "That's very thoughtful of you."

I take a few bites and find myself full. I wasn't that hungry anyway. We rush to the elevator and open the door to see that the girl from District 9 is there; Kraken.

I immediately want to wait for the next one but I file myself in. She scares me. The way she laughs at everything, looking at us as though we are pieces of meat she can't wait to chew up and spit out, it makes my terrified. I can't seem to be able to tell if she's simply optimistic or insane. It's almost like she can't tell what's in reality or whatever is going on in her head. Either way, it's scary to me. The other Careers seemed unfazed by her, but I think that if I were to run into her in the arena, I would feint right there on the spot, just like I did at the reaping. Bala told me yesterday that she had a little brother who died in the Games and that was probably why she is the way she is.

The elevator reaches the Training Center without any further stops and the three of us file out. Kraken runs off somewhere. I turn to see where she's going but she seems to have disappeared.

Then I notice Clover, the girl from District 8 that I had talked to yesterday. She's really nice, and even though she's slightly taller than me, I'm older by only a few months with both of us being fifteen. But I can't talk to her now. I am led by Bala towards Jacob, Glamour, Arma, and Crescent. The four of them forming a semicircle like a wolf pack watching its prey.

I look in the direction they are and I see Everlee, from District 6 and Reinzac who is also from District 6. It seems as though they have made a small alliance as both are helping each other with their training, but I can't be sure because perhaps they are just being nice to each other since they're from the same District.

"Those two might present a problem," says Jacob.

"Nah," replies Arma, "They'll die in due time. Let's pay more attention to the more outline Districts. Like that girl from 12, Rose, she seems a little mysterious. I mean she hasn't done anything yesterday or today."

"Ha," laughs Glamour, "Don't worry about her. I can tell her kind anywhere: polite, nice, and quiet; all meaning she's easily breakable. She'll die quickly trust me."

And the queen bee strikes again. She reminds me of a prettier, more seductive Murla. Arma and Jacob have been hanging around her a lot since the training started and I don't even think they've noticed.

"I don't know," I say and they look at me as though I had just stabbed them in the back.

"What?" asks Crescent.

"Well," I say, "I mean she's been standing by the bow and arrows a lot, maybe she's good at them but doesn't want to show us."

"Hey you know water girl's right," observes Arma, "Look, she's doing it now."

We look over and she's standing by the bow and arrows.

"You're quite the observant one aren't you," Bala says and I blush at the compliment.

"Come on," says Crescent, "Lets train while Jacob and Arma figure out who's going to die."

The rest of us agree and disperse to train. Bala helps me learn how to better control a spear. Meanwhile Glamour flirts with countless guys from the other Districts to help us lower their guard and allow us to kill them faster. It works on most of them except for the scrawny boy from District 11, Wolfbane. Crescent goes over to the bow and arrow and shoots every one of them in the dead center of the target, intimidating Rose. Crescent also proves very good at throwing knives and especially good at using an axe. All the while, Arma and Jacob, who both really don't need any extra training, strategize the Games.

Bull, the small boy from District 10 doesn't seem to have a chance. He can't fight, he can't climb, and he can't even make a fire. I can't help but feel sad for the boy. Meanwhile there's Oralae, who seems furious at the Games. Even so, she visits every station and seems acceptable at everything, especially with the swords.

After I finish with Bala, I make my way over to the axes, as Crescent left to return to her bow and arrow. I reach for one and my hand meets someone else's. I quickly pull away and turn to see the boy from District 7, Alder.

"Sorry," he says but he obviously really wanted to learn how to use the axe for combat. I'm guessing that he already knows how to use one as he lives in District 7, the District of Lumber. He seems really nice.

"No, it's ok," I say, "Take it, I just wanted to look at it."

He purses his lips together in a sort of smile and the way he purses them together, it raises higher. He grabs the axe and he turns his pursed lips into a smile. I back away and turn to go find something else to do.

I go to examine the knives and find Baxter, the boy from District 8, doing the same. It seems like we're both trying to figure out how to use weapons. I turn my head to see what Alder is doing and he seems to be talking to the girl from District 11, Thalia. Both are holding an axe and both seem really skilled with them. It may be just me but I think that I see an alliance forming between the two. Damn.

The day flies by and the next thing I know, Bala, Crescent, Arma, Jacob, Glamour, and I are all in the elevator on our way up to our floor. Tomorrow, we will get our training score, and to be brutally honest. I'm terrified.

**review!**


	15. Clover: The Training Scores

Chapter 15: Clover  
>The Training Scores.<p>

I wake up, worried half to death about today. But I know what I'm going to do. I don't want to be seen as a target from the careers, but I don't want to be seen as an easy target either. I get dressed in my uniform which is exactly like the other's uniforms except with pink lining. All uniforms are like this. District 6 has grey lining, dark green for District 7 in contrast to District 5's neon green, mine is pink, District 9's is orange, District 10's is purple, District 11's is brown, and District 12's is black, the opposite of District 1 which is white.

I eat breakfast and meet Baxter by the door.

"You nervous?" I ask him.

"Yea," he says, "You?"

"Of course," I say, "But don't worry, we'll do fine."

My words seem to comfort the thirteen year old boy and he smiles. We make our way to the elevator to find that it's full with the other tributes.

We step in and it stops at every floor, filling up more and more. We finally make it to the bottom and we all are herded out like cattle. We all take our seats on the benches and the evaluation begins right away. Boy, then girl.

"Jacob Diamond."

"Glamour Divine."

"Arma Treno."

"Crescent Lyagh."

"Techno Eletrique."

"Aura Woodlock.

"Bala Shark."

"Moray Eel."

"Surge Cooper."

"Edeline Crow."

"Reinzac Chako."

"Everlee Madett."

"Alder Black."

"Willow Spring."

"Baxter Orkendale."

I wish him luck and he leaves. And I'm next. I am called in and I walk into the center to see that some of the Game Makers have already become bored but most are still watching. I go and grab any sort of thing that could be used to make a snare. It eventually takes me too long and they are starting to get bored. It takes me an hour and they are no longer paying attention. Then I move to the far right and left of the training center and hang it up to reveal a giant web of snares, resembling a spider web. This immediately grabs their attention. They examine it and I begin to make my way out. Then Aadrash is called in.

I return to my floor and find that Baxter is waiting.

"How'd you do?" he asks eagerly.

"I think I did ok," I say, "How bout you?"

"I don't know," he shrugs his shoulders.

"I guess we'll find out tonight," I say and he nods.

Then we both sit at the table.

"So Baxter," I say, "What was life like for you back at District 8?"

"Well I don't know," he mumbles and he's obviously very nervous.

"Hey," I say, "Don't worry. Just be yourself."

"I don't know how," he sighs, "I always feel that if I do something wrong then I'll be laughed at again."

His eyes begin to water up.

"And it makes me feel that nothing I do is right so I have to be someone I'm not to fit in."

"Hey," I say, putting my hand on his shoulder, "If people don't like you for who you are, then to hell with them. You don't need to change for others and if anything, they should change for you."

My words seem to give him some slight comfort and we sit in silence for a while. The silence is interrupted by Chloe and Macy, who immediately begin to ask us questions about the evaluation.

Baxter and I both respond by saying fine to every question.

"Come on!" complains Chloe, "Tell us, how did you do?"

"I donno," shrugs Baxter.

"I guess we'll find out tonight." I say.

It takes forever but eventually it is Seven o'clock and we all gather around the TV to watch the Scoring. My prediction is that only careers will get the tens, while the rest of us get somewhere between 0-8. Crassus comes into view and gives a small introduction before going into the scoring.

"And here are the results," He concludes: "Jacob Diamond, from District 1, with a score of 10…  
>Glamour Devine, from District 1, who got a score of 9…<br>Arma Treno, from District 2, who received a score of 10…  
>Crescent Lyagh, from District 2, with a score of 10…<br>Techno Electrique, from District 3, who received a score of 6…  
>Aura Woodlock, from District 3, with a score of 8…<br>Bala Shark, from District 4, who got a score of 9…  
>Moray Eel, from District 4, who received a score of 8…<br>Surge Cooper, from District 5, with a score of 8…  
>Edeline Crow, from District 5, who got a score of 6…<br>Reinzac Chako, from District 6, with a score of 9…  
>Everlee Madett, From District 6, with a score of 7…<br>Alder Black, from District 7, who received a score of 8…  
>Willow Spring, from District 7, who got a score of 10(?)…<br>Baxter Orkendale, from District 8, with a score of 5…

I look over to Baxter who suddenly turns sad and pale. I place my hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

Clover Wool, From District 8, who recieved a score of 9…

I am suddenly overjoyed by my score, but I make sure not to show my happiness in front of Baxter who has become so sad.

"Don't worry," I tell him, "The scores barely matter."

That's a lie and he knows it. We then turn our attention back to the screen.

Aradrash Mohina, from District 9, with a score of 3…  
>Kraken Lazarus, from District 9, with a score of 5…<p>

'She probably laughed the whole time' I think to myself.

Oralae Cledgrep, from District 10, who got a score of 7…  
>Bull Shooter, from District 10, with a score of 4…<br>Thalia Skyware, from District 11, with a score of 6…  
>Wolfbane Stride, from District 11, who got a score of 7…<br>Graphite Ramirez, from District 12, with a score of 5…  
>Rose Redbird, from District 12, with a score of 6…<p>

And that concludes the Training. The next step is the interview, which might be even more troubling than the training.


	16. Techno: The Gadget and the Careers

**AN: Now, no one has really said anything about Techno's tocken. I mean, he keeps asaying that it will be his life saver and stuff but tokens aren'y allowed if they give and unfair advantage. So this chapter will be just the beginning of his token being put into play.**

Chapter 16: Techno  
>The Gadget and the Careers<p>

A SIX!

You've got to be kidding me! I deserved at least a seven! There's no way the careers will take me now! I storm out to the elevator as fast as possible, leaving a concerned Aura behind.

"Techno," she calls as I run, "A six isn't that bad!"

How would she know though? She got a good score. She got an eight. I don't care that usually the younger kids get lower scores, I should have gotten a higher one. I shut the elevator doors before any of them can reach me and I push the button to bring me to the roof.  
>I go up onto the roof, grab whatever I can find and throw it off the edge. However, that's when it comes flying right back at me. I quickly jump out of the way and bump into Jacob and Arma, the leaders of the Career Pack!<p>

"I'm sorry," I blurt out but Arma and Jacob seem to be chuckling.

"That was quite the dodge," chuckles Arma.

"Thanks," I say, "I think."

Jacob looks down and sees something on the floor. I follow his eyes to see that my gadget has fallen out of my pocket and onto to floor. Before he has the chance to take it, I snatch it up.

"What is that?" Jacob asks.

This is what I've been waiting for! Isn't it? This gadget is the key to my success and now would be just as good of time as ever to use that key.

"My token," I say, quickly hiding it as to show them it is important.

"That's a weird looking token," Jacob observes.

"That's because I made it," I say, "It's gonna give me a huge advantage in the games."

"Well then the Game makers aren't going to allow it," says Arma.

"Not if they can't find out what it does," I mock. They suddenly seem intrigued.

"What does it do exactly?" asks Jacob.

"Oh I can't tell you that," I say.

"Why not?" asks Arma.

"Because, if I did, then you'd tell on me, and I can't have that happen now can I?" I say. Here I am, a small thirteen year old kid, bossing around two giant Careers.

"Well how about if you don't tell us, then we will tell on you," interrogates Jacob.

"How about we make a _real_ deal instead," I offer, "You guys let me join your pack and I'll tell you what it does…eventually."

Hopefully by the time we get into the arena and if I pull it off for long enough, they'll forget all about it.

The two brutes ponder my offer for a while.

"Can we think about it?" asks Arma.

I nod and they go off into a garden like area. I turn away from them with a grin. They really want to know what my gadget does, I can just tell. I strut down to the edge and look down to the streets of the Capitol. Fans of The Hunger Games are all in groups, chanting whichever tribute they wish to win.

I grab a leaf from a small bush in a miniature garden nearby and let it go over the edge. Once it reaches a certain area, it floats delicately back, just as it had when it had fallen.

It's a force field, one created by District 3 I assume. I search for the weak spot and immediately find it, as every force field has a weak point.

Then I wonder why they would put the force field up here but the answer comes to me more quickly than the question does; in case any of the tributes tries to jump off. Tributes like Aradrash from District 9, who has already given up any hope of going back.

That's when Jacob and Arma come strolling back towards me. I pretend not to notice they are coming even though I truly am eager to know their answer, an answer that will determine either my preceding life or death.

"Techno," says Arma after clearing his throat.

I turn towards him and attempt to appear very uninterested as to what they have to say. After all, 'with or with out them, my gadget will win the games for me.' Or at least that's the impression I must give.

"Yes?" I ask after a moment of silence.

"We have considered you're offer, and we would gladly accept you as a Career tribute," says Arma.

"Yea," says Jacob, "I mean what harm could it be really, and District 3 joins the Careers all of the time."

YES! Yes yes yes! I'm going home!

Or at least that's what I'm saying on the inside.

The outside is a different story: shock that they let me join? Or don't care?

I try a cross over of the two but it doesn't seem to work as they make a weird expression in reaction to my reaction. So I just pretend like it's only given me a slight boost.

"Welcome to the Careers," says Arma.

**Hmm... I wonder what it could do. Please Review!**


	17. Alder: Interview Prep

**Ok so this is a chapter about Alder and gives a small explanation of why Willow is the way she is.**

Chapter 17: Alder  
>Preparation for the Interview<p>

Eight, a very average score. But for Willow to get a 10? I find it very shocking and can't for the life of me figure out what she did to get it. Either way, the training is done. The ting I must focus on most is now the interview. My big break, as I have never had any trouble whatsoever speaking in public. I'm much more intellectual than athletic. I can barley run for ten minutes without getting winded.

The interview is my chance to get sponsors, as it is with every other tribute. I am so far depending on this because as I learned in the training center, I'm not too good with anything but the axe. I can't even make a good knot.

I am lead to speak with my mentor while Willow is tended by her mentor. The escort attires me in a suit and tie and teaches me how to walk properly and sit properly. I had always known that they teach this sort of thing to girls but who'd have guessed that boys needed it too.

He teaches me how to speak properly and how to use proper pronunciation and diction. When I ask what diction means, he tells me it's the way to say word in their proper form.

It doesn't take me to long to prepare for the interview so I'm finished by lunch. Then I have the rest of the day to myself, but no one that I can spend it with. I pass by Willows room to hear her screaming her head off about how this is all so stupid. Then her mentor screams back.

I go to the door to hear what they are saying but right when I put my ear up to it the door swings open and the escort comes out mumbling to herself about how difficult Willow is and if she wins then the escort says that she will truly kill someone.

I peak through the open crack of the door to see Willow sitting on her bed with her arms folded. I take a step in and she whips her head to face me.

"Are you ok?" I ask but she just turns her head away.

I make my way to the bed and just as I sit down she pushes me off.

"What the heck" I almost yell, "I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need anyone's help," she screams like a spoiled brat, "I can win this thing by myself."

"But don't you want to at least…" I say but she cuts me off.

"At least what?" she asks, "Have a friend? Get to know someone? Because If I do that then I'll be getting close to someone who will die, and I don't want to do that, so just get out!"

And then she stops her way into her bathroom and slams the door shut.

I stand there for a while and I turn to leave. I need to get out. But where can I go?

Not knowing what to do, I simply return to my room and shut the door. I go over my notes and remind myself that I'll need to mention my sister so that I can get sympathy from the sponsors…But should I mention her? What if that causes her to be reaped net year? Two tributes this year are siblings of recent Hunger Game's tributes. Oralae and Kraken. There's Oralae who seems to hate the Games but still wants to prosper, and then there's Kraken who is simply insane. Both have a chance at winning this thing, but Cassandra, who is so innocent and naïve… she wouldn't even realize what's going on until she's dead. So maybe I shouldn't mention her.

I think of other strategies and come up with countless stupid angels. After frustrating myself, I go to the TV and turn on the news to see if I can get any more frustrated. The reporter talks about the games and this year's tributes, showing pictures of each one of us in the training arena.

It mainly shows the Careers. The second most shown tributes are the ones from District 5: Surge and Edeline. The screen shows few photo shots from districts 3, and 6 through 9 while showing close to none of the tributes from Districts 10 through 12. This is how it usually is though, with the exception of District 5. Their glowing chariot costumes seem to have made all the difference.

There are three pictures of me, one showing me examining the axes, another one of me talking to Moray from District 4, and another of me talking to Thalia from District 11. That picture is the only one that Thalia got because she is from District 11 and no one seems to care about the double digit Districts. none of the pictures showed what skills any of us had.

I turn off the TV and my mentor clears his throat, getting my attention.

"Are you ok?" he asks and I just shrug.

"Just having a little trouble coming up with an interview angel," I say and he sits next to me.

"Just be yourself," he says, "People like that more than when someone tries to play the intimidating one or the sexy one, people like someone with natural charm and you've got that."

This gives me a little self esteem. He pats me on the shoulder and leaves me to think to myself. Tomorrow, I will have to introduce the world to myself and to Cassandra. She is key, and once I… if I get back… I will find someone who would be brave enough to take her place incase she is to be reaped. However, for the time being, I must use everything I have to my advantage and play the cards that I've been dealt.

**Oh no! Putting Cassandra in danger in hopes that you can return to help her. What do you think? Is that a bad plan? Review!**


	18. Arma: Prep for the Interview

**Alright, one more chapter of prep and then there's the interview! enjoy!**

Chapter 18: Arma  
>Prep for the Interview<p>

My angel in a usual one for boys from District 2. I'm the committed fighter who will refuse anything but victory. Meanwhile, Jacob is playing the part of a scary Career Leader, even though we are co-captains, I guess the Capitol has pinned him as the leader.

I have just spent the entire day figuring out my angel and how to play it. And it's the most boring thing that I've ever done. I would much rather be back down in the Training Center and strategizing.

I'm not going to need sponsors anyway. What with the fact that I'll have all the supplies that I need from the bloodbath.

The bloodbath is the one time where most tribute die at once. Jacob and I have decided to only take out the ones who are of no threat whatsoever, or the ones who are of a major threat like the crazy ones such as Kraken and Willow.

We don't want to kill everyone off right away because what would be the fun in that? Besides, if we do kill half the tributes then hunting down the rest will be harder, making it take more time, making the people of the Capitol get bored, making the Game Makers put extra dangers in the arena.

Hopefully, they'll put two flails in the arena since both Glamour and I would prefer it, but the flail isn't a common weapon, but the mace is. Whichever of us gets to the flail first will get it, the other will have to settle for the mace or a sword.

I go to eat at the dinning table and I am joined by Crescent.

"How's Interview Prep been going?" I ask.

"Ok I guess," she says, "My angel is the strong, independent woman."

"Alright," I say, "Did you hear anything about the others?"

"Only that Glamour will be playing the sexy angel, girls from District 1 always do."

"What do you think Bala and Moray will do?" I ask.

"I don't know," she then adds, "And I really don't care."

"Come on," I say, "Bala can be useful, the problem is Moray. We need to eventually find a good reason to kill her."

"That's sort of true," says Crescent, "But it can't be on the first day. She'll expect that. We have to wait a while in order to gain her trust. That way she won't see it coming."

"Don't you think that Jacob and I already know that," I say.

"Well excuse me," she snaps, "I was trying to have a conversation."

She is about to get up and leave when I stop her.

"Did you see the snap shots of us on the news?" I ask.

"Yes," she says very curtly.

"What did you think of them?" I ask.

"They were fine," she says, "Nothing special."

I then remember the photos; all were taken during the open training, none actually revealing any strengths or weaknesses of the tributes. There was one of Jacob, Glamour, Crescent, Bala and I all standing together while we observed Moray. But Moray wasn't the picture. There was one of all of the Careers again, this time including Moray. Then they showed several individual snap shots of us, occasionally going to other districts.

"I don't know," I say, "I think they were pretty good."

"Ok then," she says, she then stands up and gives a sharp pivot turn and leaves the room.

I am alone to think to myself. That's when my mentor has me practice my posture again.

I am eventually tired and go to my room to sleep, which I do. Then, in the mourning, I am greeted by my stylists who are quick to work on me. Because there will be harsh lights on the stage, they put a minimum of makeup on me so that I won't look ghostly pale.

I object but they ignore it. After they've finished my stylist comes in and gives me my clothing, a gold button up shirt with a black suit jacket and black dress pants, very simple attire. He lets me go and I see Crescent at the elevator, dressed in a long, gold dressed that seems to be made out of solid gold sown together, making it a little difficult to move in. The design of it makes her look like a strong warrior. Her blonde hair is once again in its usual braid.

"You ready?" she asks and I nod. That's when we enter the elevator and make our way to the limo. We are on our way to the interview where the entire country of Panem will truly meet the tributes for the first time.

**Alright! next chapter's the interview and I hope everyone does well... Review please!**


	19. Moray: The Interviews

**Alright! It's finaly the Interviews! enjoy!**

Chapter 19: Moray  
>The Interview<p>

As we make our way to the stage where we will be seated and wait for the interview to start, I go over my angel, which almost reflects my personality. I am to be the sweet innocent, but determined girl from District 4. For sure he will bring up the spectacle at the reaping. I am the youngest Career this year so must play my part well. Even though I'm fifteen, my mentor wants me to act younger than I really am because of the reaping. We are all seated in order of our districts. This time, the girls go before the guys.

The trumpets sound and Glamour makes her appearance. She wears a skin tight mermaid white dress and goes to sit next to Crassus.

"Well hello Glamour," says Glamour and she gives a little wave to the crowd.

"Hi there," she says, her long brown hair flowing behind her.

Crassus is very good at this interviewing thing. After he finishes with Glamour, he quickly calls Jacob to the stage, where he plays the role of the strong intimidating leader that he is.

Then Crescent is called, and she looks stunning and strong in her gold dress, apparently the strong leader of the female half of the Careers.

She is followed by Arma, who doesn't really seem to have an angel that differs from any other boy from District 2; a strong dedicated fighter. When Crassus mentions the boy who attempted to volunteer, it makes Arma seem a little more dangerous than her really is.

Then Aura from District 3 is called up in her sparkling yellow dress. She and Crassus get along well what with her sarcastic wit.

Then the young boy Techno is sent up. He is rather playful and tends to move a lot often times getting up and using a lot of energy in everything he says.

That's when it's my turn. I step onto the stage with my wave designed dress that makes it seem like waves move every time I take a step.

I make my way to Crassus and take my seat next to him, while the crowd applauds Crassus's introduction for me, I give a small, girlish shrug of my shoulders with a smile.

"So," Crassus begins after the noise dies down, "How are you liking your time in the Capitol?"

"Pretty good," I say, "It's a lot different from home."

"Yes," Crassus agrees, "Do you miss it?"

"Do I miss what?" I ask as I didn't quite catch what he had said, none the less the audience gives out a small chuckle.

"Home," Crassus chuckles.

"Oh," I smile, "All the time. I can't tell you how shocked I was at the reaping…"

"Yes," laughs Crassus, "We all know about your shock. Tell us, why did you feint on that day?"

"Well," I begin and I decide to be honest, "Because I was scared. At least that was part of it… The day before… This girl from my school had been teasing me about it."

"Well that's horrible," says Crassus, "did you knock her out or something?"

This gets a laugh from the audience and I let out a feint smile.

"No," I say, "Although I kinda wish I did."

Once again the audience laughs.

"I'm more of a survivalist," I explain, "More of that than I am a fighter."

At first, I feel as though I've done something terribly wrong, but it gets a good reaction from the audience. After all, all of the Careers have shown themselves as fighters, this kind of mixes it up a bit.

That's when the bell rings and my time is up. I return to the seats and watch Bala go up for his interview and he does fairly well.

After him comes Edeline Crow, who is again dressed amazingly and gets the loudest applause. She does well on her interview and they spend much of the time talking about her cloths and Crassus wonders is she'll glow in the arena too.

After her comes Surge Cooper, and although he's been getting a lot of attention from the crowd, he seems the most serious out of all of us. Every time Crassus tries to lighten the mood with a joke, Surge doesn't seem to get it and continues being serious. Is this is angel? Or is he really like this? I guess I'll never know since I probably won't be becoming friends with him unless he joins the careers.

He is followed by Everlee who makes her way to the stage quietly. He's followed by Reinzac who comes across as the large and dangerous tribute who cares for no one except for those from his District.

Afterwards comes Willow, who refuses to talk to Crassus who eventually learns to ignore her and talk about her score with the crowd members. She's followed by Alder who seems to be her polar opposite as he's sociable and gets very involved with the crowd the same way Crassus does. He tells Crassus about his younger sister who has down's syndrome. This makes the crowd cheer for him to return home to his sister. He just got himself a lot of sponcors but at what cost, now they might put his sister into the arena. But surely even in District 7, they'll find someone who would take her place.

He's followed by Clover who appears sweet but determined to get home. However, on her way towards Crassus, she tripped on her dress and fell on her face. She quickly got up and sat next to Crassus, her face slightly red. She spends much time talking about her wishing to return home to Leather, her boyfriend. This gets her sympathy, both her and Alder did well.

Then comes Baxter, who is thirteen, just like Techno, except the two are nothing alike. Baxter seems shy and sensitive, and not quite out of his shell yet.

After Baxter comes Kraken, who spends most of her time laughing or deadly quiet, and even Crassus seems unsure of what to do. Afterwards, Aradrash comes to view and doesn't say a word. Not out of arrogance, but it seems to be out of depression. What he does say, he mumbles, forcing Crassus to repeat his words. Oralea, who spends much time talking about how much she misses her sister who had recently been in the games, and how she's determined to win this for her deceased sister. It's sad to watch her cry at the mention of her sister but she quickly pulled herself together. Showing her determination.

They are followed by Bull shooter, the hopeless thirteen year old. He, Baxter and Techno are the youngest of the tributes, and even I must admit that this year has much younger tributes than usual.

Bull finishes and is replaced by Thalia, who plays the sexy role, a role usually only played by District 1 females and this comes across as very odd but very affective. She turns from sexy to flirty Wolfbane comes out, he's so scrawny that he looks almost dead, yet very much alive. He's rather shy, but gets along with Crassus easily enough.

He is followed by Rose, the girl from District 12. she is very mysterious, just as she had been in training, and doesn't say much.

She is followed by Graphite, the fourteen year old boy from District 12. He appears socially awkward but manages well enough.

Once he finishes, he return to his seat and the lights go black. The interview is over. Tomorrow, the Games will begin.

**Review!**


	20. Clover: After the Interviews

**AN: Alright, so this is the aftermath of the interviews. enjoy!**

Chapter 20: Clover  
>After the Interviews<p>

Nearly everyone did great in their interview. However, I doubt I'll be getting any sponsors after I landed flat on my face when walking to Crassus. Now everyone will see me as a klutz. I'm sure to die now.

That's when I think about it. What if I trip in the arena too? If I were to fall over before the gong rang. I would be blown to smithereens. Or what if I fell on my way to the Cornucopia? I'd be killed for sure.

I convince myself that I'm over reacting, just to convince myself that I'm not.

That's when I notice Baxter staring at me. He hadn't done to well on his interview either.

"Don't worry," says Baxter, "You did fine. That talk you gave to Crassus about Leather won them over. How much do you want to bet they all forgot all about it?"

His words are comforting, but empty. I don't believe him one bit.

"You did well in the interview," I tell him and he gives a small smile. We hug, and I imagine that I'm in Leather's arms again. Baxter breaks the hug and I get a good look at him. He's lost some weight due to his training.

That's when Macy and Chloe find their way to us.

"Well tonight was… interesting," says Chloe, "Clover, sweetie, is your face ok? You fell on it pretty hard."

That's when I burst into tears. Baxter was wrong, no one remembered my talk about Leather, and they just remembered my fall. I am instantly comforted by Baxter and Macy, who gives Chloe a dirty look.

"Its fine Clover," Macy whispers to me, "It wasn't that bad, really."

Once again, the words are empty and only bring me slight comfort. I'm unconvinced by anyone and must see it for myself.

"What time do they play the replay of the interviews?" I ask.

"Cover," says Baxter, "We don't have to watch…"

"What time?" I demand.

"In a few hours," Macy informs me and we make our way to our rooms where I silently sit for a while, wallowing in self pity.

I know when I say it like that it sounds selfish and pitiful but my life is really on the line now. If there's ever a time to feel sorry for yourself, then that time would be now, so I feel no remorse of my self pity.

A few hours later, Baxter comes into the room.

"The replay of the Interviews is about to start," he tells me meekly.

"Alright," I say, "I'll be there in a second."

He gingerly shuts the door and I make my way to the bathroom to wash off my tears. After doing so, my face appeared red, so I dab at it with a soft towel. After my face has returned to its normal state, and all these of tears have left, I exit my room and head to the sitting area to re-watch the interviews.

I've missed the interviews of those from Districts 1 through 5. I sit just as Edeline Crow walks up to meet with Crassus.

"Why hello Edleline," says Crassus.

"Hi," she says sheepishly.

The interview continues and it then moves on to Reinzac and then Willow, who seems to be deaf and unable to hear Crassus' words.

Then Alder goes up, followed by myself. I watch as I make my way there, I trip and fall on my face. My hand returns to my nose, remembering its imact with the floor. I watch myself as I get up and act as though nothing has happened. Even I admit that I have trouble listening to the actual interview and spend those three minutes thinking about the fall.

My fear is true. That's all that the sponsors saw, but I got right back up. Surely that will count for something.

I bury my face in my hands and feel arms encircle me, comforting me. I look to see that it's Macy. After I watch myself leave the stage, Macy and I get back into upright positions to watch Baxter stroll in and sit next to Crassus.

Baxter shows himself to the world as who he really is, a shy and kind hearted boy. Chloe compliments him about it but I know that it probably won't get him that many sponsors but who knows, maybe people like the underdog sometimes. We turn off the TV and get up to go to bed.

As I lay in the soft sheets I think of Leather, and Baxter, who I have become very close to, which is very dangerous considering we'll be trying to kill each other.

I wonder how it might have been Different if Leather had volunteered for Baxter. He's probably more skilled than Baxter is, and although Baxter asked to be trained separately, we've still formed a friendship. For sure if Leather had volunteered, we could play the role of the… How would the people in the Capitol put it? ... Star-Crossed Lovers? And who knows, maybe something like that will happen. But that day isn't today.

I long to hold Leather in my arms again and I am determined to, I just have one, large obstacle in my way, or rather a bunch of obstacles that consists of the Games and the other tributes. I'm not very violent but if the time came to it, I'm sure that I'd kill someone.

I barely get any sleep but I try to since tomorrow the Games will begin. However I simply can't. I cling onto the scarf that my father had given to me as a token. Surely I could use this as a number of things to my advantage, but the Game Makers still allowed it.

Unable to sleep, I get up and try to figure out a way to wear the scarf without it slowing my doe. If I wear it a certain way, someone who's chasing me could grab it and pull me down. If I tie it around my waist it might fall off or slow me down. I

the figure that I can just wear it in a way that it circles my neck and the ends rest over my shoulders. Sure, like I said before, someone could grab it and pull me down, but this seems like the easiest way. With that done, I lay my bed and finally find a way to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day.

**AN: The Games are almost here but the Game makers still haven't confronted Techno about his token... will they ever?**


	21. Techno: The Gadget and The Game Makers

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 21: Techno  
>The Game Maker and the Gadget.<p>

The next mourning I am brought to the hovercraft. There, the rest of the tributes and myself are put aboard and we are set off to whatever the arena could possibly be. Once we land, I find that we're in some underground place. We are each led to a room where we meet with our stylist. I am dressed in the same clothing I wore in the training center with the addition of a hooded jacket.

Afterwards, I am put in a glass cylinder and raised into the arena to find that we are placed at the tip of a snow capped mountain, with bunches of forest running down it. I turn to see if it has a bottom but it appears to continue going down into the abyss. I turn to see the giant golden cornucopia in front of us.

The gong rings and I rush towards it. Halfway there, I am tackled to the ground by Reinzac who begins to choke me. I kick him to get him off of me and I eventually hit a weak spot. I scrabble up and run. All around me I can see people being killed; Aura is getting slashed by Bala with his spear, Oralae is killed by Glamour with her flail, eventually Reinzac is killed by Arma, and most shockingly of all, Jacob is killed by Thalia. Just as I get to the cornucopia, Crescent comes out of no where and BAM!

There's an axe in my head. I slip into nothingness and try to scream or yell but nothing happens. I fall to the ground and everything goes black. I haven't even survived the Cornucopia bloodbath...

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I suddenly wake up yelling my head off just to find that I'm still in the Capitol. I hug my pillow finally realizing that tomorrow will be the end of countless lives. I quietly weep into the pillow and lift my head. I am about to get a glass of water and wash off my face of tears.

That's when I see it. A dark shadow is sitting in a chair across the room from me. I quickly turn on the lights to see that it's the head Game Maker. But that's not all. He's holding my token. He's holding my gadget.

"What are you doing here?" I ask abruptly.

"Well, we were examining all of the tokens and then we came across yours," he says.

"Is there something wrong with it?" I ask innocently.

"I was hoping that you could tell me. We've had previous victors from District 3 come in to check on it. They've broken it down, reassembled it, and they can't seem to figure out what it does. It seems to them that its just a small cylinder that is full of wires. Now, I'm not going to be fooled by a thirteen year old boy so tell me. What does this thing do?"

I start to chuckle at this. I knew it was going to have to come down to this sooner or later.

"It deceives people," I laugh.

"What?" asks the Game Maker.

"That's what it does," I say, "Well actually that's what I do. But it's a prop. I can't do anything. It can't even generate electricity from it. It's just designed to look like it can do something really cool."

"Really?" says the Game Maker, "Prove it."

"Well you already did that for me," I say, "It's so basic that you've already been told what it does by the victors of District 3. It does nothing."

"Then why did you make it?" he asks.

"I already told you that," I say, "To deceive people. Kids my age… Kids my age never make it in the games. Not unless they have something they can use. This empty, good for nothing, cylinder is what I can use to make people think that I have something that I can give them, something that only I know how to use."

"But if it gives you an advantage like that…"

"But it's not the one giving me the advantage. I am. I'm the one who will be lying to these people telling them that it can do something great…So the cat's out of the bag I guess."

Now it's the Game makers turn to laugh. He sits back and chuckles like Santa Claus.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"You," he says, "You're a clever one. And you're right. Kids under the age of fourteen never win. But hey there's a first time for everything."

"So…" I say, "You think I have a shot at winning?"

"I think you might be just clever enough to do it," he says, "But just remember that if they ever figure out that you're lying about what it does, or if I ever figure out that you're lying about what it does, then you'll be dead. You'll have to be careful with something like this."

"I understand," I say, "But trust me, I'm not lying to you."

"I trust you," he says, "And that's why I'm doing this."

He walks over and tosses the gadget into my lap.

"Really?" I exclaim, "Oh thank you so much!"

"Good luck kid," he says while on his way out, "And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor."

Then he leaves. I smile because as of right now. The odds are defiantly in my favor. However not for the reasons one would expect. What I told him was the honest to god truth. This gadget does nothing. Anyone from District 3 would be able to tell that simply by looking at it.

The real reason that the odds were in my favor was because I had been scared that he wouldn't believe me, and confiscate it from me. If he had done that, then the events of my dream might actually come true. I sit there and hope that the events of that dream won't happen. And I swear, if tomorrow I look up and see the arena as the top of a snow capped mountain, I will die just by seeing it.

**Alright, so that's what the gadget does. Not what you expected was it. Review!**


	22. Alder: Last Morning of Luxery

**The last chapter before the Games begin! I was origionaly going to start the games on this chapter but desided that this was nessary for future parts of the story. Enjoy!**

Chapter 22: Alder  
>The Last Mourning of Luxury<p>

I wake the next mourning around six. Not that I could sleep much anyway. All I could think about was my probable and imminent death.

We won't have to get to the hovercraft until ten, so that gives me a lot of time to prepare myself. As soon as I get up and wash off, I order water. I chug down as much as I can just incase there won't be much of a water source in the arena. That and so that I won't become so thirsty that I'll end up desperately eating or drinking something that could get me killed.

That's when an avox girl comes in and hands me a note from the mentors saying that they would like to have breakfast with Willow and I.

As I read the note, I can hear Willow yelling at her avox about how tired she is.

I thank my avox and get dressed. I make my way out to find that the mentors are already eating at the table that is finely decorated with wonderful breakfast foods. I grab what has become my favorite food, pancakes with strawberries on the side, as well as a few pieces of bacon.

I take my seat and dig in. It's actually quite nice to have such a great breakfast feast before I go off to die. I'm actualy enjoying my morning.

But then Willow comes in.

"Do any of you realize what time it is?" she asks, "It is seven in the mourning! I am going to need my sleep for the games!"

"Oh just shut up and eat," says her mentor and Willow goes ballistic on her, screaming her head off.

Eventually, she realizes that it is not getting anywhere so she sits down and eats, mumbling to herself about how stupid people are in between bites.

"Do you remember what we discussed?" my mentor asks me and I nod.

I am to just go for it. Grab whatever I can and sprint away and find someplace to hide and worry about shelter later. If I am unable to grab an actual weapon I'll make something that I can use out of wood, my dad did teach me a bit of carpenting, but I'll still need some sort of blade. I am not to fight anyone and am to avoid conflict.

I look up and my mentor has seemed to read my mind as he nods in approval.

"Well," Willow's mentor almost laughs, "I see you two made progress. I however, couldn't get Willow to listen."

"I already know what I'm going to do," Willow snaps at her mentor, "I'm going to kill the first person I can get my hands on. And then after that, I'll kill the next person. And so on and so forth until everyone in that arena is dead."

Her mentor gives her a look as though she had just uncovered her greatest secret.

"Oh please," says Willow, "It's not like he won't know right away."

This is when I hope to God that I'm not next to her on the starting plates. If I am I might as well just step off before it begins.

"So what's you plan dumbo?" Willow asks me.

"It's a surprise," I try to say calmly.

"Oh shut up," she says, "It won't be a surprise once you're in the arena so just say it."

"Yea but it won't work if I start telling everyone about it," I snap, she's really starting to get on my nerves, and I don't want to be too angry once I get into the arena with my mind filled with raw emotion. I'm going to need to be rational about things that I do in the arena.

"You know what," she simpers, "I'm not going to kill the first person I find, it'll be you. Unless someone else gets to you faster. Like you really have a chance of getting through even the bloodbath…"

That's when I stand up so quickly my chair falls over. Before I am able to do or say anything, I make my way out. As I leave I tell myself not to say anything but it comes out anyway.

"You do know that the Game Makers won't let insane people win right?" I shout, insinuating that she's insane.

This gets her to shut up, and I make my way to my room, slamming the door to my room shut behind me.

I begin to tear the room apart. I slash at the pillows, throw the chairs. I try to get as much anger out as I can. She's been doing this ever since the parade and I've gotten sick of it. At least before I had the ability to ignore her and focus on something civilized but I can't do that now since I'm going to be taken someplace so that I can be slaughtered!

No matter what I break, it doesn't help. I calm myself down and go out to grab myself some water. I chug it down by the gallons. Then I pour a bit on my face. This helps cool me down a bit.

A few minutes later, we are called to leave. I go to gather my leaf and find that it went missing during my rampage.

Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no! Why! The one time I break, I lose the one thing that I would have to remind me of home, to remind me of Douglas and Cassandra. It's gone. I start to look for it but suddenly the Peacekeepers come in and drag me out of my room. This year, the male from District 7 will not have a token.

That's when I make myself a promise myself that I will never to lose control again. I mean, just look at the consequences. I lost the only thing that didn't make me just some random piece of their games.

**Well, sucks to be Alder. In the Next chapter, the Games will begin! I've been waiting to say this: (: Let the 33rd Annual Hunger Games Begin! and May the odds be _ever_ in your favor! Review!**


	23. Arma: Let the 33rd Hunger Games Begin!

**Here it is! Let the 33rd Annual Hunger Games Begin! Enjoy and I'm sorry to the bloodbath charcaters!**

Chapter 23: Arma  
>Let the 33rd Annual Hunger Games Begin!<p>

As Crescent and I make our way down the elevator, we don't say a word to each other. We don't even whistle or mumble, or anything. Our mentors stayed behind, knowing that they had nothing more to say to us.

We finally stop and see the other tributes being loaded onto the Hovercraft. We make our way there and take our designated seats. The doors are closed and the only light comes from the lights of the Hovercraft. There isn't a single way to see where we are going.

While gliding through the air, we are all injected with small trackers on our elbow. I don't even feel it enter my body.

The hovercraft soon lands and we are herded out like cattle. We appear to be in some underground sector, beneath the actual arena. We are all separated and brought to a room where we are greeted by our stylist.

My stylist sits up and smiles as she hands me the black jacket with the red lining. Our uniforms are the same as they were in the training center. I sit and wait, gulping down water to insure that I won't die of thirst right away. But that's already been ensured to us by Moray, our little water girl.

There's a sudden announcement to enter the glass tubes at the corner of the rooms and for the first time, I get butterflies in my stomach and actually become nervous, and I begin to start shacking, but only ever so slightly, as I can't show any weakness to anyone, and allow them to think they are anything but little mice, and we Careers are the cats that will hunt them down.

I step into the glass tube and it immediately closes. I am suddenly being lifted into the arena.

At first the light is blinding and it's warm. I start to think that I see a blazing fire but in truth it's the tip of the golden cornucopia. It is slightly down hill from where we all stand, making it easy to get to, but harder to get away from.

I take a look at my surroundings. Usually there's a large forest to provide cover, but the arena this year turns out to be shaped of luscious green hills, some too steep and tall to climb, others very low and shallow.

There are trees of course. They dot the hills, resembling what one would find in the backyards of the houses in Victor's village. There are strips of thin forest that run along the hills like snakes, but as far as I can tell, nearly the whole arena is visible from the cornucopia. Nearly. The Game Makers would want to at least give the other tributes a chance.

The count comes to ten. Then four.

Boom! The gong rings and everyone sprints towards the Cornucopia.

There's a sudden scream and while running, I turn to see that Willow, the girl from District 7, has lunged and is on top of Rose, the girl from District 12. They are having an all out brawl as they slightly roll down the hill.

I ignore them and find that everyone, including myself, had slowed down while on their way to the Cornucopia while watching them. All except Kraken, who playfully chooses her supplies and makes a bee line out.

I sprint there even faster. I make my way there, and so does Crescent, Bala, and two others.

I identify them as Alder from District 7, and Thalia from District 11, who seemed to be racing each other. Thalia seems to have won the race as she triumphantly grabs the axe, but there's a sudden knife lodged in her throat. It came from Crescent. Her preferred weapon is the axe. The others are coming in. I grab my flail/flanged mace, and turn to see that Alder gave up on the axe, grabbed other things, and ran.

Crescent then turned her attention to find a bow and arrows but finds that it's already been taken by a tribute.

Meanwhile, Jacob arrives and grabs the first sword he can find, immediately sprinting towards Rose and Willow, who are still battling at the starting plates. As Jacob runs by, he makes quick work of Bull, the boy from District 10.

It seems that Willow succeeded in choking Rose to death as she stands up with a smile, but her head is suddenly decapitated as Jacob swings his sword.

Glamour looks at me, and I see that she holds a mace, there was only on flanged mace I guess. We both turn to see that Moray has been pushed to the ground and is about to get slaughtered by the thirteen year old boy from District 12, Graphite.

"Water," I whisper and Glamour understands.

She swings her mace and it becomes lodged in the young boy's head. Moray gets up and begins grabbing more supplies.

I turn and see Aradash, the boy from District 9, hiding, attempting to avoid conflict. I catch him by surprise and fling the spiked end of my weapon at him, but he's not yet dead, I beat him to death with my flanged mace and he becomes soaked with blood.

Meanwhile, several have already started retreating. Bala seems to have become overpowered by Reignzac. I start to go to assist him but Reinzac is suddenly struck in the head by a bludgeon tied to a rope. I see that it belongs to Moray. The hit was not fatal but got him off of Bala. Reinzac retreats.

The three of us turn our attention to Crescent who is fighting Oralae, who appears to be much handier with a sword than she appears to be. Oralae disarms Crescent and makes her escape, meanwhile Glamour fights with Everlee. The two are both disarmed and Everlee makes a devastating blow to Glamour's stomach, then grabbing her things and running away.

"Well don't just stand there," Crescent yells at us, "They're escaping!"

"Let them run," I say, "We can see where they're going is visible from here. So here is where we will set up camp."

"We're going to use the Cornucopia as our camp?" asks Bala. It's true that no one has really ever done this before.

"Why not, it should provide enough protection," explains Jacob.

That's when Techno breaks out of the cornucopia and suddenly Bala, Glamour, Crescent, and Moray have him surrounded. He gives out a little shriek.

"Guys stop!" Jacob and I shout in unison.

"What?" asks Glamour.

"He's a Career," Jacob says, "He's with us."

The others look at us quizzically, but Techno just smiles.

"Alright let's go over inventory. Then we'll head out to knock off a few more. There's obviously some still fighting otherwise they would have started the cannons already."

The others, including Techno nod. All the Careers plus one survived the Bloodbath, as usual.

We grab whatever supplies we want.

"Moray," I order, "You stay here and watch the stuff. Here, I found this horn; blow it if someone comes by."

She nods and the rest of us head off. We enter the nearest snake like forest and there's the sudden snap of a twig. We all, with the exception of Techno, whip our heads in that direction.

There's a small shriek and the girl has revealed herself: Aura Woodlock, from District 3. She makes a run for it and I actually start to laugh, as do the rest. That's when we start joking as we chase the terrified girl. However, we're too fast. Every turn she makes is useless as once we left that small strip of forest, her every move was pretty much broadcasted to the world, and not just to the people of Panem, but to the all the tributes remaining in the arena.

We quickly have her surrounded and she begins to cry and beg for mercy. I have to admit, for a moment, I am about to give it to her. But that's when Jacob heads in for the kill just to be stopped by Techno.

"Stop!" he calls and Jacob does.

"If you kill her," Techno says, "Then I'll use this against you."

He pulls out his gadget and while Jacob and I widen our eyes in fear of the unknown, the other Careers give a confused look, as does Aura, who squints at it and then must have realized what it does.

"But that…" she starts to say but Techno hushes her. He grabs the sixteen year old girl and brings her out of earshot as to tell her something. Then they come back and he holds his gadget with Aura.

"What will it be?" he asks.

"Fine," I say, "She can join."

Aura's face brightens with relief and happiness as she hugs Techno, who just saved her life.

That's when the cannons start to go off.

One…Four…Six. That's it. Only six have died so far, all of them at the Cornucopia Bloodbath.

"Let's head back and send Moray out for water," Jacob says and we all oblige.

**Well, that's the bloodbath. :) I feel bad about killing off tributes though. I'm sorry to people from District 12 but the &4th was a long shot and tributes from District 12 always die quickly. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Chocked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with just because the story is limited to naration:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/Glamour Devine-18-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Aura Woodlock-16-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
>- - - Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*<br>- - - Alder Black- 17-District 7  
>- - - Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8<br>- - - Clover Wool- 15-District 8  
>- - - Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9<br>- - - Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10  
>- - - Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>

**Thats it! Alder and Thalia were going to be an alliance but she died so...Review please! **


	24. Moray: The Lakes

**Alright, second Chapter of the Games, but it's still the first day. Enjoy!**

Chapter 24: Moray  
>The Lakes<p>

Absolutely nothing happens. I see a few tributes attempt to stealthily make their way from one strip of forest to another, but it's obvious. There are some trees dotted on the land in between each strip of forest, but for the most part, you can see almost everything. Except for what's behind the giant, un-climbable hills.

To the far left and right of where I am facing are what appears to be miniature mountains of rock with a plateau on top, and one could only guess what's up there as it's hidden by bushes and trees. I had heard a scream earlier and then the cannons started firing. Had there been another death? But there were only six, a very small starting off death count.

As I wait, I open a pack of crackers and start to nibble on one.

I turn and watch as The Careers, and the girl from 3; Aura, make their way back. I guess Techno picked up another recruit. That makes eight Careers in total. They arrive and Aura picks up a random sword. The others don't know that I have made a secret get away backpack while they were gone, just incase they tried to betray me.

"Did you guys get anyone else?" I ask but they shake their head no. they just came from the other side of the cornucopia so I didn't really see what had happened.

"Stop eating that, we might need it later," says Arma referring to my crackers, "Do your thing, find us water. Oh wait, someone go with her just in case."

"I'll go," Glamour volunteers, "I'm so thirsty!"

She joins me and we start walking.

"I think there might be something by those plateaus over there," I point to the rocky hills, "Can't really see though since all of those bushes and trees are there."

"Alright," says Glamour and she starts jogging across the central valley.

"Hurry," she calls me.

"Calm down," I say but she ignores me and continues on ahead of me.

"I'll check this plateau, you check the other," she orders me. There are only two, and both are in opposite directions from where we currently are.

"Ok," I shrug, but I have a bad feeling about it.

"Are you sure?" I call out, just loud enough to be heard from the Cornucopia. The arena is very small this year.

"Yea I'm sure," she says. She starts running. Boy she must be really thirsty.

By the time I reach my plateau, she's already halfway up via climbing. I begin to start climbing and find it really easy. I make my way to the top and from what I can see, so has she. I make my way through the thick layer of trees and bushes and find a sparkling elevated lake.

First I check for poison by seeing if it's populated and sure enough, there are some fish swimming about. The salt from the crackers begins to make my throat dry and I am about to dunk my head in the water to drink when I suddenly see the Milofish, a mutt fish I had also seen in the ocean the day before the reaping.

I quickly pull away. Is this a trick? I go through the other types of fish in the water. All fresh water fish. I guess since the Milofish is a mutt, harmless fish, it's both a salt water and fresh water fish.

I purify my bottle of water and begin to drink. It's completely fine.

That's when I hear another Cannon boom! At first, I think I miscalculated and that I'm dead. When I find that I'm still alive, I rush to the edge of the plateau.

I turn my head towards the cornucopia to find all the Careers besides Glamour and myself there. Glamour! I whip my head towards the other plateau and the Careers start sprinting towards it with the exception of Crescent who must be staying to guard. As I whip my head to face the plateau, some on my hair that's been put into a ponytail falls over my shoulder.

I practically slide down the rock slope and rush towards the other plateau. We all make it there at the same time and climb. There was no scream, had Glamour killed someone? Had someone found and killed Glamour by surprise? Was there no lake up here, only forest?

We make our way to the top and cut through the bushes just as Glamour's lifeless, flawless body is being lifted by a claw; the only thing being brought with her is her mace. I seem to be the only one to get a good look at her body, and there's not a single scratch on her. Behind her is another sparkling lake.

Bala suddenly stands next to me as if to shield me.

"How could you let this happen?" Arma yells at me, "She was one of our best fighters!"

"It wasn't her fault," says Bala, "You heard her ask Glamour if _she _was sure they wanted to split up, and Glamour said yes."

Arma's reason for killing me is gone.

"Maybe someone else killed her," suggests Aura, "We didn't really get a good look at her before she left."

"Only one way to find out," says Jacob, then turning to me, "Is the water poisoned?"

I go to inspect it and it's clear as a raindrop, not a living thing stirring inside of it.

"Yes," I say, not completely sure but still, better safe than sorry.

"Are there any other water supplies?" asks Techno is sudden fear of dieing of thirst.

"Yes," I say, "The other plateau has a fresh water lake."

The others sigh in relief. But even if there wasn't another water supply, there was plenty of water in the cornucopia.

"Let's go tell Crescent what happened," Arma says," Then we'll go hunting. The day is just beginning."

Seven dead, six of them are regular tributes, one a greatly skilled career who got thirsty. Careers and Tributes aren't even the same thing. As of now, there are ten tributes and seven Careers left alive, and soon, even more will be dead.

**That's the seventh death on the first day :( So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Chocked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with just because the story is limited to naration:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Aura Woodlock-16-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*<br>- - - - - -Alder Black- 17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8<br>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8  
>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9<br>- - - - - -Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10  
>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>

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	25. Clover: Just Another Piece of The Games

**Still the first day, and it's going to a long day for both the tributes and the Careers.**

Chapter 25: Clover  
>The Beginning of the Hunger Games<p>

The bloodbath was bloody. However, it wasn't as bloody as I thought it would be. Only a few minutes ago, I saw the Careers climb the plateau, all except the girl from 1 and the girl from 2. One of them must have died. I guess I won't know until later.

After I had retrieved my supplies, I ran and hid behind a tall un-climbable hill. There are three of these in the entire arena as it's extremely small and visible this year.

My supplies include a dagger, a sowing kit with a needle, and as much food that I could fit into a bag.

My plan is to find Baxter. I don't care if he doesn't want to form an alliance but I just want to make sure he's safe. I watch as the Careers and the two from District 3 return to the cornucopia. As they pass by, I check to see if they're looking in my direction. When I see that they aren't I sprint across a hilly valley and behind the plateau that they just came from.

I see that a walk away from me is what seems to be a small, but more of a blob or forest. I make my way there and cover myself. I find a good tree and take my first try at climbing. I make it up only a few feet when I fall. It will take some time to learn.

In fear that someone may have heard me from my fall, I hide in the bushes. When I think the cost is clear, I try climbing again. This time, I actually get pretty high, but that's when I realize that I chose the wrong tree to climb as it doesn't provide much coverage.

I slowly make my way down and of course, the second I touch the ground is when I am found.

I turn to see that Jacob, Moray, and Bala have found me and I sprint. Once I reach the end of the small forest, I turn and run along the side of it. Once I see them reach the edge behind me, I return to the coverage of the forest, and they follow me, hot on my trail. I quickly run into the plateau and start climbing and I admit that this climbing is much easier than tree climbing is.

Once I reach the top, I dive through the bushes and nearly fall into the hidden lake in front of me. I get up onto my hands and knees and I hear Jacob calling after me as they climb as though it's a joke. I crawl into a near by bush just as they reach the top. When they see the small bit of greenery between the lake and the bushes and trees is empty of any living being, they fall silent. As they search, they walk right past me. I hold my breath as not to make a sound.

"Do you think she went back down on a different side?" asks Bala.

"Where else could she have gone?" says Jacob and the two make their way to the edge of the rocky plateau and start to climb down.

The cost is clear and my throat is parched from all the running. I slowly make my way out of the bush and head towards the empty lake. Just as I am about to dunk my head into the water to drink, I am suddenly tackled from the side.

"Shh!" my assailant whispers and I look to see that it's Moray, I had completely forgotten that she as with them. From now on I'll have to be much more careful.

"What are you doing," I hiss in a whisper.

"Saving your life," she whispers back, "That water's poisoned."

"It is?" I ask in shock and put my hand on my forehead. I was about to die.

"Thank you," I say and she just nods.

"Do you want to make an alliance," she asks immediately and I admit that I am shocked.

"No," I say, "Maybe later, but not now, not right at the beginning. Not while you're still with the Careers. I need to find Baxter."

"But…" Moray says, "In the training arena, you said…"

"I know what I said," I tell her, "And I will, after you've left the Careers."

"I can leave right now," She tells me.

"It's too soon," I say, "You need to get to know they're strategies if you want to survive without them."

She shrugs.

"Well, if you were about to drink the water I guess you're thirsty, the other plateau has good water…" she says, "Here, I'll give you some of my water."

She reaches for her bag but it's gone. We turn to see Oralae Cledgrep running to the other side of the lake holding Moray's bag. Moray takes out her weapon, a bludgeon, but does nothing. I grab it from her hands and chase Oralae down. I'm going to win these games, and I don't care how it happens. Oralae gives out a little shriek as she mustn't have thought we had noticed her. I whip the bludgeon at her and she falls to the ground, dropping her things and her sword. I kick her sword away from her, as I saw how handy she was with it. Moray runs over and grabs the things that Oralae dropped.

"Alright, just let her go," says Moray.

But I can't. This thirteen year old girl will die soon anyway. Thirteen year olds never win or even make it to the final eight. I take the bludgeon and whack her on the head. Then she moans in pain and I continue to beat her.

"Stop!" Moray yells, obviously not caring about the careers finding us. It'll be a matter of minutes before they reach us.

But I don't stop. I take out a dagger that I took from the cornucopia and slit the young girl's throat, tears begging for mercy stream down her now lifeless face. The cannon fires and I hand the bludgeon back to a horrified Moray and go to disappear into the bushes.

I watch as the Careers arrive and Moray is now balling over the girl's body. Why is she doing this? I ask myself. Is it part of her strategy for sponsors? But her tears for this young girl she never met seem genuine. Bala holds her shoulder in support. They think that she killed Oralae.

I don't even feel a twinge of guilt which is weird since I thought that I would. But all I care about now is getting back home to Leather.

"It's alright," Bala says to Moray, "We heard you shouting. Moray, it was self defense."

They think that Oralae must have attacked her. I start to feel that I should feel guilty for killing this girl, but I feel nothing.

"She's so young," Moray cries, "She didn't deserve to die."

That's when the hovercraft comes. Bala holds Moray back from shielding the poor girl's body while Jacob goes through her things and grabs whatever could be useful.

The hovercraft picks her up and it's as though she never existed.

"Get a hold of yourself," Jacob snaps at Moray and she shuts up and looks in my direction. I wonder if she'll still consider an alliance with me.

I know that she will when she tells them to just get back to the base and they all walk away and head back to the cornucopia.

The count has become eight deaths, with seven Careers alive, and nine tributes alive.

**I have to admit that I'm upset about Oralae's death cause I really liked her. Meanwhile, Clover has become a simple peice of the Games, and doesnt seem to have any intention of showing up the Capitol. So much has happened and the first day's not even over! So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death bclover with Moray's bludgeon  
><strong>

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with just because the story is limited to naration:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Aura Woodlock-16-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*<br>- - - - - -Alder Black- 17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8<br>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8  
>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9<br>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11**

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	26. Techno: Mercy

**Alright, its still the first day, and the fourth chapter sonce the games began, but that doesn't mean the day is anywhere near over. Also I would like to point out that I have everything from here on to the end completely planed out except for one minor thing. enjoy! **

Chapter 26: Techno  
>Mercy<p>

Another Cannon has gone off and I begin to think that one of the Careers died, but brush it off since we're all in groups of three and two.

Glamour, and Crescent are staying by the cornucopia. I requested that Aura and I are never to be separated ever. So, Arma, Aura and I are off hunting for people. It sounds creepy when I say it like that, so I'll just be calling it hunting.

While Moray, Bala and Jacob went to the right of the cornucopia to the plateaus, we went to the left near a small strip forest.

Arma instructed us to be as quiet as we can as not to disturb or alert the other tributes. We walk along and look in several directions.

I pretend that I have x-ray vision and that I can see through any hiding spot as to accidentally intimidate anyone nearby.

It doesn't seem to work. There's no one in sight. I turn and watch the cornucopia through the trees and suddenly spot someone running from one strip of forest to another, probably thinking that no one was looking. I identify him as Alder and alert Arma.

"Hey!" Arma calls out and Alder stops and looks in our direction, realizing he's been spotted. Panic runs through his eyes and he runs.

We exit the forest and he sprints when we start to chase him. He's obviously not a good runner as he's slow and seems to already be panting. However, he's much better at dodging branches and trees than we are.

He reaches the end of the forest and runs across another hilly valley, but we're still on his trail, playfully calling after him as he runs. He makes his way behind one of the three un-climbable hills and into another strip of forest. We follow him and just as we enter, he seems to have disappeared.

Arma squints his eyes and looks around, immediately spotting him.

"Ha!" Arma laughs, "Nice try!"

Alder sprints out of his hiding spot and continues running, now we're even closer to him than ever, though he puts some distance between us due to his familiarity to the forest. We exit this strip and he's out of breath and probably thirsty.

He collapses on the ground and flops over to face us.

"Finally give up?" Arma taunts and Alder starts to crawl but doesn't get anywhere.

The three of us have stopped running and now, following Arma's lead, stalk toward him.

"So," Alder says "Guess this is it."

"Yea," I simper, I find it funny how nonchalant he is about this. It's almost as though he knows something that we don't know.

"What did you do to get into the wolf pack?" Alder smiles at me and Aura, "Because I could sure use that type of info right now."

The three of us have stopped walking, even Arma is finding Alder's acceptance of death funny.

"Sorry," I say, "It's a secret."

"Aw," Alder sighs, "Are you sure?"

"Why are you doing this?" laughs Arma.

"Because it's relaxing," says Alder, "I'm storing up juice."

I tilt my head as I try to absorb what he's saying. Arma and Aura don't seem to get it either. But at the cock of his eyebrow I recognize that face. It's the face one makes when he's been manipulating you.

I whip around and I suddenly find a wild dog with razor sharp teeth behind us.

"Arma!" I call and just as he turns, the dog pounces.

Aura screams and Alder stumbles to his feet and begins to run. By the time I start to go and chase him, Arma is already underneath the vicious dog.

"Help!" Arma calls.

Aura attempts to slash her sword at the dog but it jumps out of the way from her swing and her sword is about to come down on Arma. He rolls out of the way and Aura immediately apologizes to him, just for the dog to pounce onto her! Arma quickly gets onto his feet and slashes the head off of the dog.

"Aura," I call as I go to assist her. She's been silent ever since the dog pounced, yet there was no cannon shot.

She has scratches all over her arms and her eyes are closed. I slap her and she suddenly wakes up in a state of panic.

"Calm down," I tell her, "You're ok."

She starts to hyperventilate for a moment but then stops.

"Should we go after him?" Aura asks implying Alder.

"No," says Arma, "We've got someone else to worry about."

At that moment, I hear a twig snap. My head jerks to face the strip of forest and suddenly a figure starts to run away. She seems to be fourteen and I identify her as Edeline Crow from District 5, the district that stole so many sponsors. Killing her would be risky, but it would also mean that many sponsors would have to choose some other tribute.

Arma and I sprint after her and Aura struggles to get up after us, but still remains right behind us.

Unlike Alder, the girl is slow in the forest and we quickly catch up to her. Arma leaps and tackles her to the ground. He kneels over her and is about to strike but she hits his crotch with the handle of her dagger, causing him great pain.

He falls over her and she gets up to attack me, Aura is still a while behind us. She's about to slash at my throat when I dodge, however, she did succeed in stabbing my arm. I yell out in pain and she's about to finish me off when she's pushed aside by Aura. Arma begins to get up and Edeline realizes that at the moment, the odds aren't in her favor, so she retreats.

"Come on," says Aura, "We almost got her."

"Go on," I whimper, "Get her, I'll be fine."

"That cuts pretty deep," Arma says after examining me, "We should get you some help."

"I wonder how the others are doing with this hunting the tributes thing," I say.

"Don't worry about it," says Arma, "We've got lots of time to finish them off. Come on, let's get you bandaged up, after all, we wouldn't want the gadget holder to die now would we."

I smile; this gadget thing will get me a lot farther than I thought it would.

**Ok, so no one died in this chapter and it seems like the Careers aren't doing too well. One more chapter and the first day will be over! This wil probably be the longest day in the Games so don't worry, not every day will be five chapters long, its just that most of the excitment happens in the first day. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon  
><strong>

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with just because the story is limited to naration:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Aura Woodlock-16-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*<br>- - - - - -Alder Black- 17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8<br>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8  
>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9<br>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11**

**Please Review! Review! Also, I need predictions as to who you think will win the Games! Review! Please, It will only take a few seconds to write something down! Please Review!**


	27. Alder: The Distraction

**Ok, so the first day is about to end and the second day is to begin. Enjoy!**

Chapter 27: Alder

The Distraction

That last encounter was too close for comfort. Thank goodness there was a dog there to keep them distracted for me. I was lucky, but I know that in the Hunger Games, luck doesn't exist. I must have gotten enough sponsors for the Game Makers to keep me alive, but I can't rely on this.

I didn't stay to see what had happened, but due to the fact that there was no cannon shot, I would guess that the dog lost. I try to stick to the trees, as I'm most comfortable there. When I was younger, I was like a monkey that could climb any tree I'd chose, but it's been a while and I've gotten a bit rusty, but I still have the skill and have learned a few tricks to keep myself from falling. Once in a strip of forest, I chose a tree and make my way up it. Just when I find the perfect place to hide I hear foot prints below me. Could it be the Careers, there's defiantly more than one person down there. I sneak a peak and watch Everlee and Reinzac make their way through the woods. Guess they made an alliance after all.

"How much longer till night fall?" asks Everlee.

"Not too long," replies Reinzac, "It's been a long day as it is. I doubt they'll keep it day much longer."

"So what's the plan?" she asks, "We can't go back to the cornucopia to find leftovers like we planned to before, those stupid Careers made it their headquarters."

"I guess we'll just have to keep out of sight for a while," he says, "Maybe get rid of a few people along the way."

"That will be your job," Everlee chuckles.

That's when I accidentally make a noise. The two whip around but don't see anyone behind them. They stand their ground however, but still make no sudden sounds or movements. For a second, I imagine the people in the Capitol cheering me on the kill them by surprise, but all I've got is a dagger, and I could probably handle Reinzac or especially Everlee on their own, but they're together.

Suddenly there's another noise, this time, it wasn't me or them. From atop the trees, I'm able to get a glimpse of Moray watching them with Bala and Jacob.

I want to help them, but I also don't want to reveal myself and distract them from the real threat. Bala and Jacob stalk closer towards them but they don't see it. They just continue to eye the area in front of them. Moray lingers behind them. I can no longer take it. I grab a nut from the tree and throw it at Jacob. I don't have good aim but I must be really lucky because I hit Jacob in the head and he yells out to attack.

Reinzac and Everlee don't seem to realize what just happened but still have the sense to run away, with a huge head start so big that I doubt the Careers will catch them. Jacob passes by my tree, then so does Bala. Moray still lingers behind. Just as she reaches my tree, she stops and looks up. She's known I've been here the whole time. She drops her weapons and climbs up towards me.

"That's a good thing you did for them," she whispers.

"Thanks," I say.

"But it was also stupid," she says, "For your survival; you know they'll have to die eventually."

"But not today, not while I have the ability to stop them," I say.

"I agree," she says extreamly quietly, "It's like you don't want to simply become a piece of their games."

"It's exactly like that." I say but we must say it extremely hushed as not to be heard by even the Game makers.

"They're going to kill me," Moray says slightly louder, the audience would be able to hear us now if the cameras were on us instead of the chase below.

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

"Leave," she says, "Eventually."

"Well," I say, "My alliance with Thalia didn't exactly work out, but when you do leave the Careers, I'll be happy to help you."

"Thanks," she smiles and quickly makes her way down.

As she lands she grabs her things and call out to Bala and Jacob to wait for her. I stay in the tree for a while until night begins to fall. I quietly make my way down, or at least attempt to be quiet. I'm not the best at stealth, but I can do it. Every once and a while I'll accidentally break a branch with loud volume, but no one seems to be around, at least no one that I'm aware of. I exit the strip of forest, and am greeted by the un-climbable hill. I sit against it and watch the sky.

The Capitol symbol appears along with the anthem of Panem. It then shows all those who have died tonight, surprisingly starting with Glamour Devine, the eight-teen year old beauty. I wonder how she died as she seemed vicious at the training center. It then skips to Willow Spring, the girl I loath from my own District, then Aradrash Mohina, the depressed fourteen year old from District 9. After him comes Bull Shooter, the fourteen year old boy from District 10 who was killed in the Bloodbath, he is followed by Oralae Cledgrep, the thirteen year old girl from District 10. But she had fought fiercely at the cornucopia and I saw her get away. How did she die?

She's followed by Thalia Skyware, the seventeen year old girl from District 11 who I was supposed to help, but I just watched her die. I bury my face into my hands at the sight of her face, but bring myself back to face the sky as both Graphite and Rose show on the screen, one was fourteen or thirteen, I don't remember, the other was eighteen.

Both of the District 12 tributes died at the bloodbath, but that's a common thing. It ends with the seal of the Capitol and the final notes of the anthem.

I return to the strip of forest and climb a tree, resting there for the night. Before I close my eyes, I see the girl from District 8, Clover, hiding behind one of the stray trees in the central valley part, near the cornucopia; she's spying of the Careers. I shrug my shoulders at this and drop a bit lower to get better coverage from the leaves of the trees.

The next mourning, the entire arena wakes to the sound of a scream. I get higher in the tree, but am unable to get too high as the weight of the branches won't be able to hold me for long. I watch as the girl, Clover, has been completely surrounded by the Careers. Almost all of them. The one guarding the cornucopia is the young boy from District 3 who seems unscathed other than a small bandage on his arm.

Score! I drop down and make my way the cornucopia, this is my chance to actually get a decent weapon. I make my way inside the cornucopia as Techno, the guard seems to busy watching the battle ensue.

I see on one of the tables, Crescent has left her axe just lying around. What luck! The odds are defiantly in my favor. But my luck seems to turn because as soon as I grab the axe, Crescent comes into view and screams at me in anger, sounding the horn being used as an alarm for the Careers.

**Cliff Hanger! Sorry :) So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon **

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with just because the story is limited to naration:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Aura Woodlock-16-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Alder Black- 17-District 7<br>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<br>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9  
>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>

**Please Review! Review!**


	28. Arma: The Fight

**The conclusion to the last cliff hanger: enjoy!**

Chapter 28: Arma  
>The Fight<p>

The Careers and I, who had been attacking Clover, all suddenly stop and turn to face the cornucopia. The alarm has been set off, someone is in the cornucopia.

While we are distracted, Clover makes her get away and so does the intruder at the cornucopia. He is seventeen and has either brown or dirty blonde hair. As he makes his way out of the cornucopia, he hits Crescent over the head with his newly acquired axe and runs. I suddenly recognize him as Alder and chase after him, but I'm the only one.

Moray, Jacob, and Aura go to chase Clover while Bala goes to help Techno and Crescent.

Alder enters the nearest strip of forest and runs, but I'm enraged and follow hot of his tracks. He barely escapes with his life, causing us to nearly be killed by a wild dog, and yet has the audacity to steal from us! He'll pay; I'll make sure of it.

I make my way through the hilly valley and just as I enter the strip of forest after him, my flanged-mace becomes entangled in the branches in the trees, I abandon it, not wanting him to escape. I pull out an extremely long knife and chase after him.

When he suddenly trips and falls over one of the roots of a tree, I lunge towards him. He barely makes it out of my range, but still, I've managed to stab his leg extremely deep.

He cries out in pain and swings his axe, narrowly missing my head as I roll out of the way. The knife is still lodged into his leg and he pulls it out, making himself scream in pain once more.

Weaponless, I ready myself to fight for my life, but we're both at an extreme disadvantage. Alder with his injured leg and me without a weapon. He clumsily makes an attempt to lunge himself at me but misses and ends up flat on his face. I kick him onto his back and grab the axe.

I'm about to chop his head off when he takes the knife and stabs me in the shoulder. I bellow in pain and fall over and he stand up and steps on my wrist in order to loosen my tight grip on the axe. I grab his leg where I stabbed it and he kicks my head with much force.

As my vision blurs due to the blow to the head, I can just watch as he stumbles over and barely has enough strength to grab the axe and disappear into the trees.

Just as he leaves, another tribute comes into view. It's the crazy one, Kraken. She looks at me hungrily and pulls out her bow and arrow, as though she's about to finish me off. I get onto my feet and I clench my shoulder with my left hand as I grab my long knife with my right. I'm not going to go down to some crazy person.

Just as we are about to engage in battle, Bala, Techno, and Crescent come into view. Crescent has a bump on her head, but still seems alright. Bala holds his spear and Crescent and Techno hold swords. Her weapon of choice was stolen. Bala hands me my flail/flanged-mace and I return my knife to my belt. As I grab the weapon, even Kraken has enough sense to run and just as we are about to chase her, I fall to the ground from my shoulder wound. I am losing a lot of blood.

"Let's get him back, the faster we fix him up, the faster he'll recover, the faster we can hunt again. We have cut medicine in the cornucopia," instructs Bala.

"What?" Techno complains, "We're letting another one go? At this rate no one will die."

"Moray, Aura and Jacob are still after Clover," says Crescent, "Hopefully they'll get her, for now lets take care of Arma."

Crescent and Bala help me to my feet and we exit the forest and head to the cornucopia. Once we get there, they apply the same medicine that we gave Techno last night, and his cut is already nearly gone. They bandage my arm and I lay down.

Techno's right, we've gotten so close to killing so many, but each time they've managed to escape. It's the way this arena is stupidly set up, it makes it so easy to be spotted and chased but just as easy to escape. With the valleys in between each strip of forest and the three un-climbable hills, there so much yet so little coverage for those damn tributes.

I drink a bit of water and too much time goes by. Jacob, Aura and Moray should've gotten back by now, there should have already been a cannon shot for Clover, but there was only silence. A silence that continued most of the day.

"Bala," I say, "Could you and Techno go find them and see what's going on."

"Yea sure," Bala says but I hadn't really hadn't asked, it was more of an order.

He and Bala gather a few things and head out towards the general direction that the others had taken to kill Clover.

Now it's just Crescent and I. She looks over all of the remaining weapons. Both of her preferred weapons are now in the hands of unworthy tributes. She grabs a whole set of throwing knives and equips them to her belt.

"Sorry about you axe," I say.

"It's alright," she says, "We'll get it back soon enough."

"You hungry?" she asks and I nod. She grabs some beef jerky and hands me some while eating a few bits herself.

We sit in silence when the breeze starts to pick up.

**Every year there comes some kind of 'natural disaster.' Well, in the next chapter this year's disaster will be revealed and there will be a casualty. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon **

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Aura Woodlock-16-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Alder Black- 17-District 7<br>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<br>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9  
>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>

**Please Review! Review!**


	29. Moray: The Wind

Chapter 29: Moray

The Wind

We must have ran through at least four strips of forest that twisted and curved like snakes.

"We've lost her," Aura pants, "Again."

Once yesterday, three times today, including when she ran off when the alarm was set off.

"She's got to be here somewhere…" says Jacob and his head suddenly jerks to the side, "There!"

He points and Clover springs back into a sprint. We chase after her but are interrupted by someone calling our names.

"Jacob! Aura! Moray!" calls Bala. All three of us stop, expecting the other to continue chasing.

For sure we've lost her now.

"What," Jacob calls back annoyed.

Bala and Techno pop into view and make their way towards us.

"Arma's been injured," Bala informs us, "Like seriously injured, not a small cut or anything, but a hole in his shoulder. He suggests that we re-group."

"Fine," says Jacob, "Tat girl from 8 is probably long gone by now."

That's when I notice something the others don't. She's not long gone, she's up in a nearby tree. I pretend not to notice her and then start to focus on the incoming wind. The tree branches start to gradually sway. The others don't seem to notice until a giant gust of wind storms through the arena.

At first the gust is only powerful enough to get the attention of the others. Another gust comes in and is so powerful that it knocks us all to the ground. The wind picks up momentum and we all find trouble getting back to our feet.

"What's going on?" I call out, although I can barely hear even myself, the wind instantly drones out my words, but it still seems to get to the other's ear..

"It's like a tornado!" Techno exclaims.

"It can't be," Aura yells back, "There's no cyclone!"

"It must be the Game makers!" Jacob shouts, "Head back to the cornucopia.

We scrabble out of the forest and the wind doubles in strength without any trees to block it from us. We are blown back into the forest of which we cam and scrabble ourselves to the edge of our forest's strip.

Once we step out, we are easily over powered by the wind and are blown least ten feet from where we stand. I am the second to leave the forest and find myself rolling on the ground, desperately trying to gab onto something to stop myself.

I eventually run into Jacob who has been stopped by a one of the random trees that dot the hilly valley. Bala, Techno and Aura are stopped by a nearby tree. Jacob gets onto his feet but is pushed up against the tree.

He helps me to my feet but as I stand I am blown over the tree and continue rolling. I dig my hands and heels into the ground and muster all of my strength to stop myself. The same thing eventually happens to Aura and Techno and the wind calms down a slight bit, but only enough for us to be able to move, but with great resistance of the remaining wind. The hair band that help my ponytail is long gone in the wind, as is Aura's and our hair flies freely in the gusts of wind that cascade towards us. We regroup by the tree near Jacob and all hold onto each r as we struggle to move towards the cornucopia.

There is the sudden sound of crackling. I turn around and see that the evergreen tree directly behind us is being uprooted. It flies in the air for a brief moment and then topples on top of us. Just as it falls, I spot Aura push Techno out of the way of the falling tree, only he make it away from the tree's fall.

For a moment, I believe myself to be dead as there is the sound of a cannon boom. No, I'm alive, but one of us isn't. The wind has once again picked up and techno holds onto the branches of the fallen tree for dear life. I wipe the small bits of blood that trickle down my many cuts from the branches and get onto my knees. Bala is next to me and Jacob is on the other side of the trunk, we can all barely see each other through the tree branches coated with pine needles. That's when I notice the arm coming out from underneath the trunk.

I scream but the sound is muffled by the wind. Jacob and Bala still receive my expression and find what I am looking at: Aura's dead body, crushed by an uprooted tree.

Under normal circumstances, I would have tried to help her, but the cannon has already shot, she's dead. She saved Techno, just as he had saved her, but this time, it was at the expense of her own life.

I turn to face Techno and he is just holding onto the tree by a single branch, he doesn't know yet. Now he's the only one who knows what that gadget really does.

Jacob makes his way to Techno by slithering through all of the branches and pulls him into the fallen tree, the several branches keeping us from flying away.

Jacob doesn't allow Techno to see what had happened to Aura and we all link arms and attempt to continue on to the cornucopia, where, hopefully, will be safe. Just as we leave the fallen pine tree, the branches and needles start to fly off. We're careful and try to avoid them, but there are still some that graze and cut our bodies.

The cornucopia is near, but Techno doesn't seem to have any energy left, as he's still very young. He accidentally lets go and goes flying off, nearly surpassing the cornucopia. Luckily for him, Jacob dived after him and grabbed him. just as they slide past the cornucopia, he grabs onto the sides, and Crescent helps pull him in.

Unfortunately, when he dived after Techno, Bala and I collapsed as there wasn't enough strength to keep on our feet with just the two of us. We roll down the valley and land right in the cornucopia, where Crescent, Jacob, eventually Bala, take a few large tables, and place it on it's side at the entrance to keep the wind off of us. They tie it to the sides of the cornucopia as to ensure us that it won't fly back and hit us.

We are safe from the wind, but who knows about the other tributes.

"Where's Aura?" Crescent asks.

"There was a tree," Jacob slowly explains, "That was uprooted, and the trunk fell on top of Aura, and it killed her."

Crescent seems unfazed by the news, but Techno, just now realizing what happened, bursts into turns and runs to the corner of the cornucopia, All the while Arma lays unconscious on the ground.

While I go to comfort Techno, I over hear Jacob, Bala and Crescent have a conversation.

"What happened to Arma?" asks Jacob.

"When the first gust came, it blew some metal thing and hit his head, knocked him out… Why are the Game Makers doing this?"

"My guess would be that the tributes keep getting away," suggests Bala, "They want to put them all into area for them to either kill each other make our jobs easier in killing them."

"That makes sense," says Jacob, "Boy, I'm glad we made this our base, could you imagine if we decided to stay by the plateau or something. We'd be smashed against the rocks by now."

I then focus on comforting Techno. The winds continue until nightfall, where they then show who has died today, but only Aura's face shows. There are now a total of nine deaths, six Careers, and nine tributes left.

Night comes and I attempt to go to sleep, but the sight of Clover killing Oralae still haunts me, she's completely become a piece of the Capitol's Games, and I vow to myself that I won't kill anyone until the climax, because that's when I'll have to.

**Alright, First off I apologize to Aura. Secondly, I've been getting reviews to include more characters, but like I said I have the story finished, and believe me, the other characters are included, its still like the second day, and already they've chased Edeline, Everllee, Reinzac, and Alder (but he doesn't really count.) Also, no disrespect the the creator of Baxter, but as he was a big part of the story before the Games began, I almost made him a bloodbath, but desided against as something else will happen with him. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow.**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon **

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her.**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Everlee Madett-16-District 6/ Reinzac Chako-17-District 6)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Alder Black- 17-District 7<br>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<br>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9  
>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>


	30. Clover: The New Alliance

**AN: Alright, so this is the aftermath of the Wind Storm**

Chapter 30: Clover  
>The New Alliance<p>

I wake up the next morning with a start. All I remember is hiding up in a tree and out of nowhere an incredibly powerful wind blew me away. As I fly through the sky I hit a lot of things and then next thing I knew, everything had gone blank.

I am now at the far right of the arena, wedged between two branches that must have stopped me from continuing to be thrown around by the wind. Just as I move, one of the branches breaks, and I tumble to the ground.

I hit the ground with a thump, but my head is spinning so much that I don't even think to hide. But someone must have heard me, I wasn't the only one forced into this one single strip of forest.

"Heellppp mmeee," someone groans in a whisper.

I snap into reality, not to help this person, but to kill him and end his miserable little life. I stealthily make my way towards the source of the sound and the culprit comes into view, a seventeen year old boy with a stab and cut in his leg. I recognize him as Alder, the boy from District 7. He doesn't notice me and I make my way to get behind him.

I take my dagger and am about to strike when I also realize that he's the same one who provided me a distraction to escape. If it weren't for him, the Career's would have skewered me. I drop my dagger and he notices, turning his head to face me, his face gives only one expression; pain.

"Please help," he begs and I shush him. I pull him into the cover of the woods and we have both made a silent truce.

I take out some of my water and clean him, then taking out my thread and needle and begin sowing him stitches.

"Thank you," he says, still obviously in pain but my deed has helped him.

"Why though?" he asks me.

"Because I owe you," I say, "You also saved my life."

"So does this mean we'll be partners?"

"For a while," I smile and suddenly notice his axe.

"Is that what you got?" I ask, "When you caused the distraction I mean."

"Yea," he grunts with a smile.

"Be quiet," someone says and we both are suddenly silenced and duck into our heads as not to be seen.

"I could have sworn I heard them," says another. Could it be the Careers?

That's when they come into view. It's Everlee and Reinzac, the duo from District 6.

"They must have heard you," Everlee snaps at him.

"Me?" Reinzac exclaims, "I was completely silent."

Alder seems intent on just staying hidden but I know what must be done. He doesn't even notice me slip into the darkness. He's too weak to fight. But it will be two against one; will I even have a chance? Could this be a trap set up by Reinzac, Everlee, and Alder?

I don't have any time to think about it. I gingerly take the axe, careful not to make a sound, not even Alder ealizes what I am doing. The two are still arguing, but it's not a heated argument. They argue more like they're brother and sister. I make my way around them in the shadows. If I want a chance, I'll have to kill one right away, and I know just which one I'll have to kill first.

I leap with the axe over my head and strike Reinzac in the head. The cannon is shot and Everlee screams with both fear and fury. Reinzac's body falls to the ground and I attempt to take the axe out of his head but it's lodged in.

Everlee takes out a dagger and pounces. She topples on top of me and we role around just as Willow and Rose had in the bloodbath, only now, Everlee has a weapon.

Every time she gets on top of me she goes for the final blow, but I'm careful to hold her hand that is holding the dagger a distance from my face and neck. As I pull her hand away, she leans in and bites my wrist. I scream and my grip loosens and she's about to kill me.

Suddenly a pebble hits her. She's distracted and we both look to see the source came from Alder, once again, he's distracted the one who is about to kill me. I again owe him. But I waste no time and deliver a blow to her stomach. She grunts at the hit and drops her dagger; it is now hand to hand.

I quickly throw the dagger from her reach, but she simply starts to crawl after it. I grab her feet and pull her away, and I myself begin to go after the dagger, only to have her grab my feet as well. I kick her face and she falls to the ground. I'm about to pick up her dagger when she leaps on top of my back and we once more begin to brawl on the floor.

She punches my face and while I react, grips her hands around my neck and begins squeezing. In an instance, I realize what is happening, she is Willow and I am Rose. I can't allow this to happen.

My arms flail about in search of something to use and my hand finds a large rock. I fling to towards her head and she falls over. I sit up and grab the dagger. Just as she's about to pounce again, I deliver a blow into her chest.

For a few moments she starts to gasp in desperation to cling onto life, but soon she is stilled and the cannon fires again. Three down by Miss Clover Wool, I congratulate myself. I think and I don't believe that anyone other than me or the Careers, not including Techno or Moray, have killed anyone.

I have little time to react. I want to just lay on the floor and rest, but already the hovercraft flies overhead. I quickly grab what supplies I can and the two bodies are lifted into the hovercraft. From what I grabbed, I see that one of them had received a gift from the sponsor, but they didn't have much useful belongings.

"Good job," Alder says in almost horror, "You were just as vicious as that wind."

"Thanks," I say unsure whether or not to take it as a complement, "Wait, did the wind end up killing anyone?"

"Just one," says Alder, "I think it was Aura form District 3, unless I saw the face in the sky wrong, my vision went all blurry."

I make my way over to him; he barely has enough strength to move. It would be so easy to finish him right here, but I still owe him my life. I hand him the axe but he refuses.

"Take it for now, I can't use it anyway," He tells me.

"Alright," I say.

The deaths of today and yesterday would make the count eleven deaths, six Careers left, and seven tributes left, and it's only the third day.

"All of these innocent kids," Alder says to himself but loud enough for anyone nearby to hear, "None of them deserved to die…"

**It is unfortunate as Everlee would have won the fight and killed Clover, but Alder yet again caused a distraction. I'm sorry to Reinzac and Everlee. Alright, after this chapter is when more of the characters start coming out. It will be a gradual thing though so please try to be pacient. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1 **

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Alder Black-17-District 7/Clover Wool- 15-District 8)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8<br>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9  
>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>

**Please Review! Review! REVIEW!**


	31. Techno: Hunting Again

**Sorry it took so long! And hank you to those who are reviewing! I hope you will enjoy this next chapter.**

Chapter 31: Techno  
>Hunting Again<p>

The wind ended as since then, we've reorganized the entire cornucopia after the damage the wind caused. At the mouth, we set of a large tent as to extend our base of operations and for privacy of each of us.

No one says it, but it also makes it harder for someone to break in and steal again.

"Alright now what?" asks Bala after we have all finally finished with the cornucopia.

"We go hunting," Arma replies, "The wind blew all of the tributes outside in that direction."

Arma points in the direction of the wind.

"But what about the ones who stayed in their forests?" asks Bala, "When we stayed inside the coverage of the forest strips, the wind wasn't as harsh."

"Yea but the majority would have been swept away," Arma argues.

"Besides," Jacob interrupts, "It's the best lead we've got at the moment. These last few days our attempts to knock off the other tributes have been fruitless."

"Yea and if anything, we've lost more than they have," says Crescent, "I mean both Glamour and Aura are gone."

"But remember that we're not the only killers out here," says Moray, "You saw Everlee and Reinzac in the sky last night. Someone out there isn't going to be going down easily."

"We're wasting time," I say, "If we want to start getting rid of tributes we have to do it now while they are recovering from the wind."

"He's right," says Arma, "Techno, Crescent, and I will start hunting."

"But Arma you're hurt," says Jacob, "Maybe it would be best if I went instead, you stay and rest."

Arma puts up no argument and we gather our hunting supplies, and an emergency backpack incase something like the wind happens again. With her axe gone, Crescent has resorted to throwing knives and swords. I myself use a sword, but have not yet used it in combat.

After our things have been collected, we go to the tent extension of the cornucopia and exit our base. We go around the cornucopia and head towards where the tail of the cornucopia points, as that's the direction the wind went in. There are two strips of forest to choose from where we are. We decide to go to the one towards the left.

I immediately get the feeling that we're being watched. Even though we can't see in the forest, I'm sure those inside are able to see out.

We enter the strip of forest and Jacob motions for us to be completely still. I hold my breath as we wait for any type of sound, then we all hear it, the snap of a twig. We spring into action and the boy who we had heard staggers off. It's the one from District 5, Surge Cooper.

Under most circumstances, Jacob and Crescent would have called out to him, but we've all grown tired of losing our prey, so they are silent as we chase after him. We have quickly exited the strip and he runs over a small hill and behind the large un-climbable one.

Jacob instructs Crescent and I to go around and block him off from the other side.

We do and just as he comes into view from the forrest , Crescent throws her first knife, but he ducks down and the knife misses. He returns behind the hill and disappears into a small bit of forest.

We follow him, but as soon as we enter, he drops down from one of the trees with a dagger in hand. He is aimed to kill. He leaps towards me but Crescent pushes me out of the way and he cuts her arm. She cries out in pain and that's when Jacob appears coming from the opposite direction. Surge turns and runs and I go after him, despite Jacob's commands to wait and help Crescent.

We run over the hilly terrain of soft green grass and he begins to slow down, he makes his way into the one large blob of forest and I follow in after him, careful that he's not pulling the same trick as before.

As I chase him, I catch site of two other tributes, Alder and Clover. I intend to ignore them but those few seconds of being distracted by their distant presence has allowed Surge to escape.

Surge could probably over power me, but I have a much better weapon. Still there must be something else that is keeping him from confronting me. I turn around and I see why, Jacob has followed after me.

"I lost him," I say, "But Alder and Clover are a while back there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asks Jacob.

We return to the spot where I saw Alder and Clover but they appear to have already left.

"You've got to be kidding me," I sigh.

"No," says Jacob examining the surroundings, "They've just left, we can still catch up to them, and look, blood, one of them is injured. They can't have gotten far."

There's the sudden sound of a thump on the ground. He walk a few yards and there we see Alder attempting to climb a tree, but his bloody leg doesn't seem to allow him to.

There is the sound of a shriek and Clover abandons her partner and climbs higher into the tree, high enough to the point where I couldn't even reach by climbing.

Alder panics and limps away, but there is no longer any urge to rush. Jacob and I stalk after him and he falls into a shrubbery of bushes that surrounds a pine tree. We catch up, and although we can't see him, we stab into the bush.

There's no cannon shot. We continue stabbing but still no response. Jacob pushes the leaves of the bush aside and the bush is hollow, no one is there.

"Damn," Jacob breathes.

We turn and rush to the tree where Clover had resided and find that she's already made her escape.

"Why!" shouts Jacob. Arma suddenly comes into view.

"Hey," says Arma, "When Crescent arrived I thought something might have been wrong. What's going on?"

"The boy from 5, the girl from 8, and the boy from 7, all escaped us," Jacob snaps.

"The girl from 8 should have died a long time ago," Arma admits rather harshly, we're all annoyed by the lack of deaths and we're sure the people in the capitol are too.

"What are we going to do?" I ask.

"We're going to find them," says Arma, "They couldn't have gotten far."

"I'll go get Bala, he will help us hunt," says Jacob.

"We'll continue to search around here," says Arma. Jacob leaves and Arma begins to survey the surroundings of the tree. I think he sees something because before I get the chance to react, he's off. I can't even see where he's gone so I return to where we lost Alder. The tree surrounded by hollow bushes.

**That's it, sorry. I'll try to update it ASAP. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1 **

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (Alder Black-17-District 7/Clover Wool- 15-District 8)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Edeline Crow- 14-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8<br>- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9  
>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>


	32. Alder: Battle in the Tree

**Sorry that it has been such a long time since I updated but I have a chapter for you now so enjoy!**

Chapter 32: Alder

Battle in the Tree

I sit in silence. The bushes had been hollow, so I crawled to the other side of the tree and the branches were low enough for me to climb, and because it was a pine tree, they couldn't see me. I overheard them talk about how they've had too many get away, but they had left before I could hear anything more.

I still can't believe that Clover just left me to fend for myself. That's betrayal, and although I might eventually run into her and renew the alliance, I won't be looking for her. She abandoned me.

There's the rustling of leaves. Someone is nearby. I check and see that it is Techno. He walks over to the bushes and starts to examine them. I remain as quiet as possible. He goes to the other side of the tree and sees that there's no trace of me leaving the area. His eyes trail up the trunk of the tree and eventually land on me. He smirks, even though he's much younger, he has a much better weapon, and I'm injured.

He makes his way into the pine tree and starts climbing. It's much easier for him since he's smaller.

In attempt to avoid conflict, I begin to climb as well, but soon enough, we're at the same level and he swings his sword. I drop down to a lower branch to avoid the hit and as soonas i make contact with the branch bellow me, I grunt and am tempted to yell out with pian from my leg. Techno wastes no time and he swoops down. I slash my dagger at him, not to hurt him, but to keep him a distance away. I can't kill a thirteen year old kid, that's just wrong, and I'm not a simple piece of these Games.

This doesn't stop him though. He attempts to jab the blade at me, but his arms aren't long enough for the sword to reach me, I guess being small does have its disadvantages after all. He starts climbing over to reach me and I quickly go onto the branch he was just on

I'm too heavy, the branch snaps and I plummet down only to be stopped by some other branches. From my fall, the smaller branches cut me everywhere, but I don't have time to think about it.

Techno makes his way down, this is my chance to escape, but I wedged in between the branches that stop me from falling. Every second, Techno and his sword gets closer to me and No matter how much I struggle, I cannot become un-wedged. How much I wish I had my axe.

Never the less, I give up trying to get out and start sawing at the branch that holds me with my daggar. Techno sees this and quickens his decent. I saw as hard as I can and the branch snaps. I once again I fall, this time, I plummit into several branches, each seems to throw me into a new direction until I hit the ground.

Amazingly, my stitches are still together, but I'm much to tired to fight. Techno still has a long way to go before he reaches me. I gather my things and run.

Techno begins to shout the others that he's found me, now that I'm getting away and he's stuck in a tree. I don't stop to hide, every time I do that they seem to find me. I hear them reach Techno and then head in my direction. I push myself to run as fast as I can, but it's hard with my leg being in the condition that it is.

From what I heard, Arma is with Techno now, as Jacob and Crescent went to search in a different direction. They must have some special medicine from the cornucopia that Arma is able to fight already.

I need to keep running, but I can't stay on this track, I turn to my right and immediately find myself facing the open plains. They are getting closer, if I go, it will mean they will find me, but they'll find me either way. I have no choice but to hide. I dive in a bush and hear as they pass me, shouting for me to come back in a wry manner.

I wait a while. Then make my way into the hilly open plains. I go as fast as I can, but I feel as though they can see me. I turn over my shoulder, but there's no one there, at least, no one that I can see. I make my way into the next strip of forest and take refuge there.

I drink what's left of my water that I obtained from the cornucopia and munch on some snacks. I need more water. Clover had told me that one of the lakes was poisoned, and that both lakes are in the plateaus, but which one? I think I'm near one. I re-gather my belongings and start to casually walk, even though in truth I am exhausted and scared.

I come face to face with the rocky terrain of the sides on the plateau and struggle to make my way up. Once I reach the top, I hide in the thin layer of trees and bushes to make sure no one else is at the lake.

There is someone, with sword, but he's scrawny. Either way, I won't take the chance at losing to him; I'm too weak at the moment. I recognize him as Wolfbane. He takes the water, drops his iodine into it, and leaves. I wait a few moments and make my way to the water and refill my bottle, dropping bits of iodine into it to purify it. I chug it down, quenching my thirst, then I re-fill it. The other lake must the poisoned one.

Night comes and I realize that we've only been in the arena for three days. So much has happened and the days seem to go on forever. Tomorrow will be the forth day.

I look up into the sky and the anthem plays. Tonight, Everlee and Reinzac's faces show up the sky and after the anthem has finished the night becomes completely black. Clover killed them, brutally. If only she could see it the way Moray and I do. She's become a piece of their games and it seems as though she's lost herself. Yes, she's still kind and all, but if you ask me, she is far more dangerous than the Careers are.

I find a tree that is extremely easy to climb and can only make it up about fifteen feet before me legs begin to burn in pain. I rest there and fruitlessly try to mend my leg. If only one of the sponsors would send me some medicine.

**Ok, So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1 **

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (/)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>- - - - - -Alder Black-17-District 7<br>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8  
><strong>**- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9**  
><strong>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>**


	33. Arma: The Final Straw

**Alright I'm back! enjoy!**

Chapter 33: Arma  
>The Final Straw<p>

He got away. Of course! We split up, Crescent and I are hunting and Jacob is helping Techno. Moray is at cornucopia while Bala is refilling water.

"Those two have gotten away too many times," I tell Crescent, "And it's not just them, the two from 5, the crazy girl, Kraken, from 9… It's too much!"

"I know," she replies, "If you ask me, it's all because there are two leaders. It makes it harder for decisions to be made."

"Well the vote was tied," I say, resenting Moray for not picking my side.

"Yea but if Jacob was gone…" she trails off.

"We can't," I say, "The other Careers wouldn't trust us anymore and we'd have to leave."

"So what?" she says, "We're stronger than them anyway."

"Not yet, there's still about half of the tributes left. Once we get the number down to like the final four. Even then, I'm sure a few more of us will get picked off. But we both know that Moray's days with us are numbered."

She shrugs.

"I don't see why not to kill her now," she says, "I mean it is the Hunger Games after all."

I let the thought of Moray's death ponder in my mind for a while. Surely if she died Bala would then betray us.

There's the sudden snap of a twig and we spin around. It's Edeline Crow, from District 5. She stammers, unsure what to do. From what I can tell she had been attempting to sneak up behind us.

"You won't escape this time," I smile and she lunges to attack.

We jump out of the way to dodge and I fling my flanged mace into her back. She yelps in pain and falls to the floor. I pick her up by the hair and throw her against a tree.

"You embarrassed us," I say, "First you escape, and now you try to kill us. How unbecoming of you. Now we're going to make you suffer."

It's true. Everyone who's escaped us has embarrassed us to the whole world, each of them will pay.

Edeline begins to cry and she starts to stand up but Crescent throws a knife into her leg, preventing her from escaping again. Her back is gushing blood from the spikes on my mace and now she clenches her leg with a knife lodged into it. She's too injured to try to run.

"Please no…" she begs.

Crescent and I are both a little spooked by what we are doing, so to make things quick, but bloody enough for the audience, I whip my flanged mace at her head and the cannon is shot.

We quickly grab her several sponsor gifts and other supplies and her body is lifted into the hovercraft.

A whole bunch of sponsors are going to need to invest into some other tributes now. Twelve are dead, eleven more to go. Crescent and I sit, proud that half are gone.

"Who's left?" Crescent wonders aloud.

"Well there's us," I say implicating her, an eighteen year old, Jacob, who's seventeen, Bala who's eighteen, Techno who's thirteen, Moray who's fifteen, and myself, "And there's also…Surge (17) from District 5, Alder (17) from District 7, both Baxter (13) and Clover (15) from District 8, Kraken (16) from District 9… and who else? There's one more that I'm missing."

"I think that scrawny Wolfbane (15) kid from District 11," Crescent concludes.

We sit and think of what the other tributes are doing out there.

"You know we should check the fresh water lake more often," says Crescent, "Because as far as I can tell, that's their only water source."

"That's true," I say. We get onto our feet and make our way through the forest, casualy searching for more tributes.

After a while, another cannon is shot. We freeze and snap our heads around us, searching for any implication of humans, living or dead. Who died? Was it one of the Careers? Could it be Bala? The count is thirteen dead now.

We rush to the edge of the strip of forest but we're facing the wrong way, away from the cornucopia. The horn is sounded and we sprint back into the forest, through it, and into the central valley.

I watch from afar as Clover makes her way out of the cornucopia with a few stolen goods! She runs away and Moray exits and looks in the direction Clover is running in, but not going after her.

"What is she doing?" I ask Crescent, "She's just allowing her to escape!"

"What did I tell you," she says, "She's of no use to us anymore!"

She's right. Moray's got to go. I grip my flanged mace/flail and sprint to the cornucopia. Moray turn to face me, then returns to the cornucopia.

What is she doing? Oh, what does it matter she's dead anyway. I near in on the cornucopia. The death count is about to become fourteen.

**... Ohh! there's about to be the fight that the Careers have been waiting for. And I don't think Moray's going to make it out of this one alive. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1 **

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4 **

**?- There's an unknown death. Who died and how they died will be revealed in the next chapter**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/Moray Eel-15-District 4**

**Other Alliances: (/)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>- - - - - -Alder Black-17-District 7<br>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8  
><strong>**- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9**  
><strong>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>**


	34. Moray: One Less Career

**Well, there is much to be desided in this chapter; the fate of Moray and who the unknown death was.**

Chapter 34: Moray  
>One Less Career<p>

I shouldn't have let her come. I could have sworn no one could see, but there he was, running at me with that vicious look in his eyes.

I grab my bag, a long dagger and my bludgeon tied to a rope. Just as I enter the tent part of our base to make my escape, Arma storms in, yelling death threats, but I'm sure they're not bluffs. He swings his flail and I scream and duck, turning a table over to keep him at some distance.

This works to my disadvantage as he shoves the table on top of me and begins crushing me with it. I must get out of here.

He stands on the table that is on me and raises his flail for the final blow. In desperation, I shift the table just enough for him to lose balance and fall down, meanwhile, he dropped his weapon.

I chuck it away from his reach and get out from under the table as he struggles to get up.

I run away, but he grabs onto my foot and pulls, forcing me to drop to the ground. I scream as I fall and I hit the ground hard. He makes his way on top of me and I kick and scream in attempt to get him off of me.

He begins to choke me and I can no longer breathe. I bite his wrist as hard as I can and he bellows in pain, lifting his hands from my neck. I punch his stomach, but something tells me that my hand hurts more than his stomach does.

I take the bludgeon in my hand and hit him over the head with it, and that gets him off of me.

At first I crawl but I get onto my feet and rush out of the tent, just to run strait into Jacob. I scream once again as I return into the tent to find that Arma has obtained his weapon. I have tears streaming down my face as I begin to panic. This is where I die.

No, I won't give in. I just need to get out of here and fast. Once again in desperation, I run into the girl's sleeping area. Crescent has also returned to the cornucopia by the time I zip up the door of the room. But that doesn't stop anyone.

However, while they slash their weapons through the fabric of the tent, I slash my way through too, a way outside.

Just as they enter the room, I topple onto the ground outside, quickly returning to my feet and start sprinting. I look over my shoulder as I run and see that Arma, Jacob and Crescent are exiting the tent extension the cornucopia, just to be stopped by Bala.

"Get out of our way," Arma screams, "She getting away!"

"She'll die in due time," Bala tells them, his final attempt to protect me. Techno stands and watches them argue.

By the time Arma and Jacob have had enough of talking and just shove him away, I've already escaped into the trees, they won't be able to find me, and I've been studying every one of their tricks in case something like this happened.

I make my way to the poisoned lake, knowing for sure that it's the last place they'd expect me to go.

Sure enough, through the bushes, I can see them go to the regular lake, later returning and yelling that I'm not there.

I go to the other side of the lake and scale up a tree as to make sure that I can see them, but they can't see me. That's when I spot a few supplies on the floor, someone else died here, this lake has taken two lives.

I grab the supplies just so that it won't draw any attention towards this location and return to the tree. It's the end of the fourth day. There are thirteen deaths, and now that I've left the careers, there are five Careers, and six tributes left.

A sudden silver parachute falls towards me and I see that it's a simple loaf of bread from my District. I guess what just happened was very entertaining to the Capitol.

I wrap up the loaf with the fabric from the parachute and put it in my bag, meanwhile taking out the sleeping bag and getting myself inside of it, resting up in the tree.

Night comes and I look up in the sky. Tonight, Edeline Crow has died, the fourteen year old girl from District 5. A thirteen year old kid has also died as well today, Baxter Orkendale, the boy from Clover's District.

Oh she'll be devastated about his death. I then wonder which of these two died from the poisoned lake, but I guess I'll never know.

I slowly let what had just happened sink in. I'm no longer a Career. I don't have the luxury of having constant food available to me anymore. I'm going to need to hunt, as I only have a little food including the loaf of bread from the sponsors.

I'm a regular tribute now. But I still have some set up alliances. Clover, but she's dangerous. My best bet is finding Alder. I don't want to risk having my partners kill me again so Alder would probably be the best choice, but where do I start looking?

So many questions and possibilities run through my mind and I am unable to sleep. It's going to be a really long night. I eventually force myself to sleep but have horrible nightmares. I relive the previous conflict over and over; each time it has a different ending with the horrifying deaths of either me, or Bala, or sometimes both of us.

**she made it! Phew, sigh of relief. That was close. And yes, unfortunatly Baxter died by drinking from the poisoned lake. Next chapter the fifth day will begin. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1 **

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4 **

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (/)**

**Loners: Moray Eel-15-District 4  
>- - - - - -Surge Cooper-17-District 5*<br>****- - - - - -Alder Black-17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<br>****- - - - - -Kraken Lazarus-16-District 9**  
><strong>- - - - - -Woldfbane Stride-15-District 11<strong>


	35. Clover: The Trap

Chapter 35: Clover

The Trap

Poor Baxter! I never got the chance to find him. I don't even know how he died! All night, I can't think of anything but him, the poor young boy who's been completely mistreated by the world. I now have two people I must win this year's Games for, Leather and Baxter.

I cry, wondering how he could have died. So many scenarios go through my mind, all of the different brutal possibilities. Had he been found and tortured by the Careers? That seems to be the only possible way. But he may have also died from the poison lake. That's what I would hope. I would hope that the poison would kill him quickly and quietly, so that he wouldn't have to be in pain.

It's hard, but I eventually force myself to sleep.

Surprisingly, I have pleasant dreams of Baxter being happy in an all white building, associating with other fallen tributes, but soon, the dream becomes dark and they all start to become monsters that find me and attempt to kill me. They eventually catch me and tear me apart.

The cannon sounds and I wake up. That cannon… I don't think it was a part of my dream. Someone just died. At least, I think someone died. The sun has just begun to rise and I look up to the sky. If someone did die, then a hover craft would come right?

Sure enough, a hover craft comes and a claw is dropped to pick up the body. A moment passes and the claw returns, holding nothing. The hovercraft is near by. That means the killer is nearby. I should leave, but I don't. Why hasn't the hovercraft picked up the body?

I gather my things. Thanks to Moray I now have both an axe and a ton more food so i wont have to hunt.

I drop down from my tree and go in the opposite direction of where I should be heading. I'm heading for the hovercraft. My curiosity is getting the better of me and I can't help it. I must know why the hovercraft hasn't picked up the body. It's so close.

I see that it hovers just over the edge of the forest, next to the open hills. I take a step forward onto the oddly extremely soft grass and I suddenly plummet down into the earth. I land with a thump and I realize two things: I just fell in someone's trap, and I'm standing over a dead body. I clap my hand to my mouth to stop myself from screaming. This is why the hovercraft couldn't pick the body up, because it's underground.

I need to get out of here, but how. I look at the body, it belongs to Wolfbane. He has… arrows in his chest. There's the feint sound of laughter above me and I turn to see that Kraken is holding a bow and arrow that is aimed at me. I can't help it. I scream my head of and an arrow is shot, but it misses. Desperately trying to find cover, I lay on my back and pull Wolfbane's dead body over me as cover. I can feel the arrows puncture Wolfbane's body and one goes strait through his scrawny ribcage. A cannon is shot.

I'm dead. I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead. Wait… No I'm not. I open My eyes, I peek through Wolfbane's long hair and see Kraken's arm hanging over the edge of the hole. She's dead. The arm slowly disappears from sight; someone has killed her and is pulling her body. I make sure that Wolfbane's body is completely covering me and I see Surge's head pop into view through Wolfbane's hair. Please let him not see me.

"Yes!" he shouts triumphantly, he doesn't know I'm here, "Two birds with one stone! Awesome!"

He disappears from view and I wait under Wolfbane's dead body, the smell of decay makes my nostrils flair. But I must endure. Thanks to Woldbane, I am alive. If it weren't for him, I would have died from Kraken, or from Surge, either way.

But I shouldn't have come here; I should have been smart and run away. Its stupid mistakes like this that gets you killed, and today I survived based off of pure luck. Luck that the hovercraft was unable to pick Wolfbane up, luck that Surge didn't see me.

The seconds seem to take forever. There is complete silence. There are no more cannon shots, and I stay just to be sure that Surge will leave. After my previous mistakes, I don't want to make anymore. Luck will only get you so far in the Games.

After a few hours that seems to last forever, I slip out from under him.

'How am I going to get out of here?' I ask myself.

I take another look at Wolfbane and see the several arrows in his body. That's it! I equip the arrows and stick them into the dirt walls of the hole. I use the arrows as I would use tree branches to climb up. One after another, I stick the arrows into the walls and use the previous ones for support for my feet.

Once I'm out, I return to the safety of the forest. I have to get out of here and fast.

With what happened this morning, there are now fifteen deaths, with four tributes and five Careers left alive. There are only nine left and it's the fifth day. However, I have a feeling that these Games will last much longer than one would think, which is absurd because people are dieing left and right, but I just have a gut feeling that this is going to continue for a very long time.

**This is honestly one of my favorite scenes in the story, everycharacter who shows up in it comes to prove to be extreamly important, especialy Wolfbane. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (/)**

**Loners: Moray Eel-15-District 4  
>- - - - - -Surge Cooper-17-District 5*<br>****- - - - - -Alder Black-17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<strong>**  
><strong>


	36. Techno: The Black Fog

**Alright so I've desided that I'm going to add a sort of twist. It largely effects the story and hopely will change it for the better. I've also desided to take the Careers out of the equasioor a short while, this will be how.**

Chapter 36: Techno  
>The Black Fog<p>

Two tributes died earlier this mourning. Since then we've been searching, with no luck what so ever. We spend the whole day looking for tributes, but nothing. We spend a lot of time going to and from the lake, knowing that tributes will need to drink. We don't bother with the poisoned lake because whoever goes there will end up dead anyway.

The sun goes down, and the moon takes its place. The anthem plays and the Capitol seal appears in the sky, which is replaced by the face of Kraken, the crazy one from District 9, and then Wolfbane, the scrawny one from District 11.

"Who's left?" I ask.

"Well, there's nine left, and we make up five of them," says Jacob, "Of the other tributes we need to kill, there's Moray, then Surge from District 5, Alder from District 7, and Clover from District 8."

Wow, only four left. After the next death it will be the final eight. Then they'll start interviewing our families. I rest well and the sixth day in the arena soon begins. Almost a full weak.

I'm the first to wake and I step outside to see that Bala fell asleep when he's supposed to be on the lookout. I shake him and he wakes with a start.

"What…" he mumbles, "Oh, sorry. You won't tell Jacob or Arma will you?"

"No," I smile.

"So how are you doing?" asks Bala. This is really the first time we've ever spoken to each other.

"It's alright," I answer.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asks.

"Making sure our lookout isn't asleep," I joke and he chuckles. I look up into the sky and a weird large cloud is right above us. I'd say it was a storm cloud but it much darker than any storm cloud I've ever seen.

"Bala," I say, "What's that?"

He looks up and stands. The cloud seems to be growing, or getting bigger. But then I realize it's not growing at all. It's lowering onto us.

"Get up!" Bala shouts into our base, "Get out!"

He and I immediately start running but Arma, Crescent, and Jacob are faltering. There's panic among the Careers. I watch as they stuggle to gather their things but Bala pushes me forward, as far away as we can possibly get from the cornucopia. I can hear Arma and Jacob yelling at one another to hurry and the scream of Crescent.

Bala and I reach the nearest strip of forest, but by the time Jacob, Arma and Crescent get out of the tent extension, the black fog has already come upon them. They start to have body spasms as though they're being electrocuted and then fall to the ground. Jacob had made it furthest of the three of them, but even then it wasn't enough. He too hits the ground with a thump.

"No!" I shout. It's all too scary. They are engulfed by the black fog and one could barely see their lifeless bodies hit the floor. All Bala and I can do is sit and watch.

"Are they dead?" I ask.

"I don't think so," Bala says, "There have been no cannon shots. I think they're just knocked out."

"Why would the Game Makers do this?" I ask.

"I don't know," Bala say, staring into the black fog that almost tempts you to go into it.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"I guess that we watch over them, in case someone comes along with a long range weapon and tries to kill them."

It's a tributes Game now. The Careers are no longer a part of it. But hopefully it will be only temporary. Thank goodness I woke up early or neither I nor Bala would have been able to escape. We spend the rest of they day searching for a good place to both hide and watch over the fog, which doesn't even swirl like air, it stays thick and unmoving. Night falls, no one's faces appear in the sky. We've been in the arena for a whole week already.

I take tonight's watch since he watched last night. As soon as he falls asleep, I take out a capsule that I had in my bag. I go to the edge of the smoke and extend my hands which begin to shake. While the capsule is in the fog, I close it and I pull my hands away, which slowly stops having spasms.

Who knows, it might come in handy some day. It will be of use as my last piece of defense. But if it didn't kill them, what will the bit that I have concealed do? But surely at the mere sight of it, they will flee.

I return the capsule that now holds possibly toxic air to my bag and return to our hiding spots. I watch in the night, but its almost impossible to see anything across the open valley through the black fog.

All I can see is the golden cornucopia and the three bodies that lye unconscious on the floor.

**And that's how the Careers are temporarily taken out of the games. Not the best way to do it but I sort of like it. It's been a week in the Arena and trust things are just getting started. So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (/)**

**Loners: Moray Eel-15-District 4  
>- - - - - -Surge Cooper-17-District 5*<br>****- - - - - -Alder Black-17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<strong>


	37. Alder: Ones Who Aren't Peices of Games

Chapter 37: Alder

The Ones Who Aren't Pieces of the Games

That fog took down three Careers, but they're not dead. Why? It makes no sense. They should die! But it's the Game Makers Game, and sadly, no matter how hard I try, I'm just a piece of it. I crouch down at the edge of the empty, poison lake, hidden by the thin layer of trees and bushes, watching Techno and Bala wake up.

What are they going to do now? Continue hunting. It doesn't seem like it, they're trying hard to hide. They don't want any confrontation.

There's a sudden break of a branch, or a twig, or something. I whip myself around, but no one's there. My leg is still injured but doing a lot better with the help of Clover's stitches. Even so, it is hard to move around. I make my way around the lake, but seem unable to find anyone.

Just as I'm about to go up to a tree and rest against it, someone drops down from the tree. I almost let out a yelp of surprise. The figure stands and reveals herself as Moray.

"Hey," she smiles.

"Hi," I say back, I had almost forgotten that we had made a previous alliance.

"Don't do that ok," I tell her, "You almost made me pee my pants."

She lets out a quiet laugh and smiles.

"Seriously though," I say "That's a really good hiding spot."

"Thanks," she says, "I've been up there for a while so I'm kind of sore…I saw you spying on the Careers, what are they up to?"

"Don't you know about the fog?" I ask.

"I saw it fall, but there wasn't any cannon shot," She informs me of what she knows, "What did it do exactly?"

"Don't know," I admit, "It seemed to have paralyzed them or put them in some sort of coma."

"That's weird," she says, "Did any of them get away from it in time?"

"Bala and Techno," I tell her.

"So we won't really have anything to worry about," Moray observes.

I nod and look back at the central valley. The fog is still there, but is slowly thinning out. This could be our chance to knock off some Careers.

"Come on," I tell her, but she's confused and falters. But I'm already sliding down the rocky walls of the plateau.

"Wait," she calls out to me in a hushed tone, "Come back. What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get rid of two Careers," I say to her as I continue to make my way towards them. They don't seem to see us through the fog.

"But we had an agreement," She calls out to me.

That's when I stop, right in between the two strips of forest, surely everyone can see me.

"Don't you remember," she asks, "Up in that tree."

I remain silent. I do remember. We had agreed to not become pieces of this Game, But the chance to take these two out is so tempting. It'll make me that much closer to getting back to Douglas and Cassandra. But once I start, will I ever be able to stop?

Moray takes a few steps towards me, but takes them very gingerly. What has she seen that makes her stay sane? I can already feel my sanity slipping away into the Games, making me become a killing monster. Clover and the Careers have all become puppets to the Capitol.

What is it that keeps Moray so grounded? I slowly let go of my dagger and it falls to the ground. I'm going to need to keep this alliance. Moray seems to be the only one who can keep me sane. Even thinking of Cassandra, sweet, innocent Cassandra, makes my mind corrupt and evil.

Moray picks up the dagger and gives me a hug. I'm frozen in the realization of what the Capitol is making me become. It's so scary that I begin to shake and shutter. As she embraces me in her arms, I can barely feel my own arms complete the hug.

"We have to go," Moray whispers.

"Not yet," I say, "Just a bit longer."

There's the sudden snap of a twig behind us. We quickly break the hug and I grab my dagger, if only I still had my axe. I turn around and Moray and I slowly back away from that particular strip of forest. I know its Bala and Techno. Surge wouldn't attack us two on one, he's too smart to try that kind of stunt. After a while of slowly backing away, we turn and run.

We near in on the poisoned lake plateau and Moray is confused when I don't slow down to climb it.

"Where are going?" she asks.

"We can't stop here," I tell her, "Then they'll know. We've all been sticking close to the central valley. Let's go further out. There's more out there I just know it."

"But we don't know what could be out there," Moray says, "It could be a death sentence, going out there."

"But they've already figured this whole area of the arena out. We need to go somewhere they don't know about," I say, "If you don't want to come that's fine, I'll go it alone."

I know Moray doesn't want to break the alliance. One more death and then we'll be at the final eight. That's when we see Bala and Techno emerge from their strip of forest and start heading towards us.

"Trust me," I say and I reach out a hand.

She takes it and we continue running into the unknown edges of the arena. As we run, I find that there's more out there than I thought. It just keeps going and going.

As we run, I take a look behind me, Bala and Techno gave up on their chase. We begin to slow down and rest. The sun has just begun to set.

**And now there a new alliance. The arena will laso expand and reveal some other tricky secrects and there will be a sort of weird huge plot twist soon! So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (Moray Eel-15-District 4/Alder Black-17-District 7)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8<strong>


	38. Bala: The Hunters

**Since Arma is currently unconscious, I didn't want to skip a chapter, nor did I was to fill a chapter full of pointless dreams, so I chose a character to replace him for a chapter, and the one I chose was Bala. Enjoy.**

Chapter 38: Bala

The Hunters

I didn't want to chase down Moray. I swore to her father that I'd protect her and I will. That's why I wanted her in the careers. I figured she'd last longer with them. But I guess I was wrong when Arma, Jacob, and Crescent attacked her. I did what I could to let her escape without getting killed myself.

I should have gone with her though. But seeing her with that Alder guy from District 7 assured me that she'll be fine. Still, I didn't like seeing her with him…. It's probably because his leg's cut and he can't protect too much with a hurt leg.

He's just like me, Alder, we're both protecting Moray, and we both want to return to our little siblings. If my little brother White wasn't reaped, I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have volunteered. I would be sitting at home, watching the Games.

I wonder if anyone would've volunteered for White. Even though District 4's a Careers district, we're not as crazy about it as Districts 1 and 2 are. All of us have reason for wanting to go back home, but the only reason for people like Arma and Jacob to want to go back home is for fame and glory.

Techno and I return to our little hide out and I'm pretty sure that we both stink at hiding. The fog has nearly done lifting, but the others still won't wake up.

There's been no cannon shot, yet I see the hover craft hovering over the cornucopia. Once the fog's finished lifting, which happens the moment the sun falls and the moon shines light in its place, a rope falls down from the hover craft. The others still aren't awake and I have a bad feeling about what's going on.

"Techno grab our things and get back to the cornucopia," I order, "Afterwards, come help me bring the others in."

He nods and I run out and grab Crescent and I begin to drag her into the cornucopia. Techno zips past me and dumps everything inside. He then turns and helps me bring her inside. We then move onto Jacob, and we pull him in. We then get Arma and just as we get him inside, people fall down the rope and into the arena.

But these aren't ordinary people. Their faces resemble that of a blood hound.

Techno lets out a gasp of fear.

"I know what those are," he whispers.

I'm about to ask him what it is that they are, but then, the twelfth human dog drops to the ground and they all turn their attention to the cornucopia. One growls and half of them begin to run to the several forests. I hold onto my spear and Techno grabs a sword.

The one who stayed behind pounce. I immediately throw my spear and it impales one. The thing lets out a howl of pain and then becomes silent. It sinks into the ground and it's going to take my spear with it! I grab the spear and turn my attention to the next thing.

They have all seemed to somewhat falter. All, except one who pounces and is about to claw at Techno. The kid has no chance against this oversized humanoid thing, I chuck my spear and kill it before it can land on him. The rest retreat and go off to hunt the other four tributes.

Before the second dead one can sink into the ground, I take out my spear.

"What were those things?" I ask.

"They are hunters," says Techno.

"How do you know about them?" I ask.

"They were being created back in District 3," Techno answers, horrified by these mutts.

"What for?" I ask.

"They…" Techno falters, "You know those areas between the districts, the ones out side of the fence, the areas no ones allowed into? Well, turns out there were some people going in those areas. So the Capitol demanded District 3 and 5 to try and create these hunters that would find and kill anyone who went in those areas. Hundreds would be sent out. But they weren't sure if they could actually hunt…"

"So…" I ponder, "They sent them here?"

"To test whether or not they can hunt… people…. " says Techno, "Bala, we're being used as lab rats. They're testing these hunters on us."

"These games are going to be a lot longer than I thought they would," I say to myself, "But we've already killed two of them."

"There's still ten more out there though," says Techno.

He's petrified by the idea of being used as a lab rat. I almost want to tell him that we already were lab rats. This whole time, we've all been used by the Capitol for entertainment. But he's still young.

"What are we going to do about Arma, Crescent, and Jacob?" asks Techno.

I think we're both happy that he changed the subject.

"Well," I say a little unsure myself, "Let's lay them down on their beds."

"When do you suppose they'll wake up?" asks Techno.

"I don't know," I say, but I do know, they'll wake up when the Game Makers want them to wake up, "They might be in a coma."

"Should we kill them?" Techno asks and I stare at him dumbfounded, "To put them out of their misery I mean."

"No," I almost laugh, "I think we should keep them around for a while longer."

"I was just thinking because there are more Careers than there are tributes," Techno says, "I'm honestly surprised that the Career pack hasn't broken up yet."

"Yea well, it's already started to," I say insinuating Moray and Techno gets what I'm hinting at.

The Anthem begins to play and are no faces in the sky. But there are now seventeen deaths, with four tributes, five Careers, and ten mutts left alive.

* * *

><p><strong>Ha! Plot Twist! Review! So here's the death list in order of when they died:<strong>

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (Moray Eel-15-District 4/Alder Black-17-District 7)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8**


	39. Moray: Stuck in a Tree

**AN: Hey so I know its been a while but I went on my computer and decided to actually finish at least one of my stories so here it is**

* * *

><p>Chapter 39: Moray<p>

Stuck in a Tree

After hearing the howl, Alder and I spent next to no time gathering our things and running. But apparently we weren't fast enough. I turn my head to see four giant sized humanoids chasing after us. There's no way we'll outrun these things.

"We need to get onto higher ground!" I shout, but as we're in the middle of a valley, there's only one tree nearby and it's a tall willow tree, one that'll be impossible for Alder or I to climb on our own.

As we near the tree I stop and Alder follows.

"Give me a boost," I order and he gets intertwines his fingers.

I step up on his hands and quickly make my way into the tree. The mutt people are getting closer than ever.

"Give me your things," I demand and he hands me his bag and weapon.

I stash them in the tree and He starts climbing, but he can't reach up in time in his condition.

"Help," He cries out.

I get as low as possible and grab his hand. He's about to get up when one of the mutt hunters garbs his leg and starts pulling him down. He kicks it in the face and has lost balance, flying away from the stub he was holding, only up in the tree by holding onto my hand. I scream as I struggle to pull him up. He dangles off the tree and the mutts continue to try and slash at him.

One gets to him and I hear a tear of fabric and Alder bellows in pain.

"My stitches!" he cries out, they're no longer in tact and his leg is gushing out blood, the cut starting to look even deeper than it ever was before.

His grasp on my hand loosens but I squeeze it. It snaps him back into focus and he grabs the closest thing he can and begins to hoist himself up, into the fork of the tree.

We're too high for the mutt hunters, but their bigger than we are. They begin to climb but Alder quickly grabs his dagger and slashes at one of them forcing them to fall down. We cut whatever can be used to get up the tree off of the trunk. As an extra precaution, we climb a bit higher.

I had hoped that the mutt hunters would have just given up and left, but they stay at the base of the trunk, waiting for us to come down.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

He doesn't respond, tears stream down his face and he holds onto his leg. Whatever repair has been down by those stitches have disappeared. I tear off a piece of my jacket and bandage him up. After a few hours, the blood refuses to stop and the fabric is soaked with blood. I take it off and I'm about to tear off another part of my jacket but he stops me and just takes off his jacket and bandages his leg with it.

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"We wait," says Alder.

Neither of us says it, but there's no way that we're going to get out of here. Even if the hunters do get distracted, we wouldn't be able to get away with Alder in the condition that he's in. We stay up in the tree all day, taking small sips of water or bites of crackers every now and then. Night comes, no one died today.

"Where did these things even come from?" I ask.

"I have no idea," Alder frowns.

Silence follows.

"What's the point," he says, "We're just slowing down death. Why not just let these things kill us. Death is probably peaceful…"

I slap him.

"Don't talk like that!" I order, "We're going to make it. And if I don't, I want it to be you who does."

I seem to have slapped some sense into him because he stares at me intently.

"You're right," he says finally, "We're going to make it."

I look up into the sky, and I see something coming our way.

"Oh god," I gasp.

Alder is suddenly fully alert and traces his eyes to where mine are pointed at.

"It's a gift," He gasps in relief, "We got a sponsor gift!"

I guess he hasn't gotten one yet. At first I'm not sure who it's for, but I think its Alder's since it lands right in his lap. He takes the cloth from the parachute and putts it in his bag. I give him a quizzical look.

"Who knows, it might come in handy," He says.

He opens the capsule and there's medicine inside.

"Is that…" he begins to ask in disbelief, but I've seen this back in the cornucopia.

"It's cut medicine!" I nearly shout out, "We used this on Arma and Techno and their cuts were gone within days!"

He removes his blood stained jacket from his leg and gleefully applies the medicine. I guess it provides a significant amount of relief because he gasps and closes his eyes. He leans his head back against the trunk of the tree and lets out a long sigh, forgetting for a moment that mutts are encircling the trunk of the tree trying to figure out how to get up.

"Come on," I say, "Let's get some sleep; I don't think we'll need a look out because these mutt things will do that for us."

He laughs and puts on his jacket. The night has gotten colder.

"Here," he takes out the cloth from the parachute, "Use this as a blanket."

"Thanks," I say and it does help. Then I remember that I kept the cloth too. I used it to wrap up my sandwich. I take it out and offer it to Alder.

"Well, well, well," he laughs, "Why'd you give me a crazy look when I kept the parachute when you did the same thing? You hypocrite!"

"I forgot," I smile.

I hand him the now blanket and we both go to sleep. At first we don't realize it, but even though the cloths are exactly the same, we just gave each other a gift…. The seventh day in the arena soon ends.

I wake up on the eighth day to the sound of a howling dog. I look down and see that one of the mutts has an arrow lodged in its head. I turn to see Surge! He's helping us! Or does he not see us? This willow tree does provide a lot of coverage.

My guess is that he doesn't see us; he's just trying to get rid of those stupid mutts. Alder is awake too. We both look at his leg and his injury is almost gone! We apply some more medicine very quickly and I turn to see that the three remaining mutt hunters are confused. One of them runs after Surge who begins to run away.

While they are still confused, I find nothing wrong with killing something that the capitol made. I grab my knife and jump down from the tree, stabbing one of the two mutts in the back of its neck. The other mutt hunter is about to pounce but Alder jumps down with his knife too. The mutt leaps over our heads and runs after Surge, I guess if figured it'd have a better chance there.

I hear another mutt howl in pain; my guess would be that Surge killed one of his pursuers. Alder and I gather our things and continue to run in the opposite direction of the cornucopia. But I think it was a mistake, because soon enough, that final mutt that ran away shows up with four more mutts. We run as fast as we can through the hilly plains and eventually run through a thin strip of forest.

On the other side is a small river that appears to curve around the opposite land on each side, making what appears to be somewhat of a mote. I start to enter the water when Alder stops me.

"I… I can't swim," he says and behind him I can hear the rustling of trees as the mutts get closer.

"Don't worry," I say as I take his arm a put it around my shoulder.

We rush into the water to find it has a steep incline and is much deeper than I had expected. I swim and Adler's legs flail around in the water in attempt to help. Thankfully the distance is not long and we reach the other side. The mutts on the other hand don't want to risk it, and retreat.

"So this is what's on the outskirts of the arena," I laugh.

"Hey," says Alder, "We're not even that far from the cornucopia. Look, just beyond that blob of forest is one of the un-climbable hills."

I look and he's right. The island we've discovered is unlike the rest of the arena, though it a small island, its one large forest, the perfect place to hide out in. how did we not find this before? Either way, we enter the forest and set up camp. Although no faces appear in the sky, three more of those mutt hunter things are dead. When they die, their hollers are so loud it might as well be a cannon blast. The count becomes twenty deaths, with four tributes, five Careers, and seven mutts left.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! So here's the death list in order of when they died:<strong>

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (Moray Eel-15-District 4/Alder Black-17-District 7)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8**

**Seven mutts left to play with as well.**


	40. Clover: The Secret Cave

Chapter 40: Clover

The Secret Cave

Ever since the first howl, I started running, and thank goodness I did because if I hadn't gotten that head start I would already be dead. It didn't take long for those hunters to find me. They've been chasing me all day and into the night. If it weren't for the occasional howl in the far distance to distract them, I wouldn't still be running.

Even so, I find myself running out of breath and the hunting mutts are hot on my tail. I make my way to the pure lake and climb the plateau as fast as I can. I sigh in relief that they aren't the best at climbing, but then again neither am I.

As I reach the top, I have no choice but to leap into the lake. I don't know how to swim and right now would be the best time to learn.

At first I sink to the bottom. I can feel all the air escaping my lungs and I become tired of trying to breathe under water. I don't know what to do. I'm now panicking. Is this the end? Is this how I will die? No. I won't allow it. I kick into the water and by some kind of miracle it propels me forward. I swing my arms in attempt to help and I find myself returning to the surface.

Just as I return to the surface and take another breath for the returning hope of life, I realize that I'm still near the edge of the water and the hunting mutts have been waiting for me.

But why wait? Why not dive in after me? Is it possible that they don't know how to swim? This water could be the tribute's only safe heaven.

The thought barely comes to mind and I don't even have time to finish it as one of the hunting mutts grabs me by the hair and lifts me half way out of the water. I barely remember that I have the axe that I had been given by Alder and swing it above my head. The axe cuts right through the wrist of the mutt and it bellows in pain as its hand and I fall back into the water. It cries resemble not a howl that signifies the mutt's death, but that a human yelp of pain.

The hand of the mutt and I are dropped back into the water. I just have time to see that underneath the land in front of me, is an under water tunnel, leading to who knows where. Seeing as my only other option is to be murdered by the mutts, I drag my body through the water and into the tunnel. I try to swim as fast as I can, but I am unable to go as fast as I would like. My body is just not used to being under water.

I swim and swim, but I see no sign of an exit. Have I gone into a tunnel that leads to a dead end? I will surely drown if the tunnel continues like this. Either way, I continue forward, every stroke I take I run out of more air.

Soon, I can't handle it anymore. I grasp my throat as my lungs run out of my last bit of oxygen and it all bubbles out of my mouth. Water fills my mouth and down my throat. My body goes into panic mode and I flail around in the water, just as a fish would once it realizes it's never returning to the ocean.

I start to sink and am about to give in to death. But that's when the image of Leather cheering me on snaps me back awake. I still feel as though I will black out at any second, but I continue forward, now propelling myself by pulling rock after rock on the watery floors. After I once again can't handle it, I kick off of the ground and spring my head strait into the ceiling of the under water tunnel.

My hands go to revive my throbbing head when I realize there's something else just ahead. I instead grasp a lodge in the rock ceiling and pull myself to finally reach air. I cough up every bit of water that went into my lungs as I lean over into the cold dark floor. It's not long before I start to vomit all over the place. It continues for the next half hour and every bit of energy is drained from my body. Once the up chucking has ceased, I roll over onto my back and look up and the pitch black sky.

Where am I? I wonder. Why does the sky look so rugged? That's when I finally realize that I'm not outside. I'm in a cave. A cave whose ceiling goes extremely high and walls that are so steep, I wouldn't be able to climb them even if I wanted to.

That's when it hits me; this cave is what lies underneath the surface of the un-climbable hills. The hills aren't hills at all. They're shells for caves. There is much more to this arena than I thought there was.

I sit up and use the lake's water to wash off the vomit that lingers on my chin and lips. I take a sip from my bottle of water and rinse my mouth before spitting it back out.

That's when I realize that I've become very hungry from all the running and vomiting. I decide to use the few materials I have to make a net and set it in the water. I then push all the vomit into the water near the net as a lure for the fish. I sit and admire my handy work. I've been living off of my food from the cornucopia and it's the first time I've actually hunted for it.

I wonder if the sponsors will view this and turn to aid me, but I don't even know if they know I'm here. Are there cameras in this cave? Surely there must be. The Game makers must have predicted that someone would find it. It's the perfect place to hide out and I might just stay here for the rest of the games. But I know if I do that the Game makers will find some other way to get rid of me; either by flooding the cave or sending some fish mutt after me. I have to leave eventually. But for now, this is where I'll stay.

At least until I know that the hunting mutts are gone. I stumble over to the walls and lay down, using my axe to slit a small slot at the very bottom. It doesn't take me long as I learn that its walls are very narrow and easily breakable.

I make it just big enough so that I can still look out and find out who dies, and small enough so that no one will notice it. I watch as the sun begins to dip down into the earth and soon out of sight. I then return to my net to find that I've caught a pink and white fish. I've seen this fish before in my school books before. Then it hits me. It's a Milofish, the first mutt to work and survive, but it's harmless.

I take the fish out and gut it. Tonight, I will eat my first caught meal and since there are only nine of us left plus those hunting mutts, it feels like the Hunger Games just began for real.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! So here's the death list in order of when they died:<strong>

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (Moray Eel-15-District 4/Alder Black-17-District 7)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8**


	41. Techno: The Eclipse

Chapter 41: Techno

The Eclipse

The eighth day comes to a close and today there were no faces of tributes in the sky. Only howls instead of cannons. We shouldn't be worrying about the audience getting bored; the deaths of the hunting mutts should keep them satisfied.

Meanwhile, Jacob, Arma, and Crescent have not shown any sign of waking up and it may just be me, but each one of them looks the slightest bit thinner than they did before.

Bala decides to take first watch and I go to sleep. It seems to be only seconds when Bala wakes me up for my turn to stay guard and watch. I stand out looking for any possible mutts to arrive but I see none.

They seem to be preoccupied with the other tributes, though there haven't been any deaths since they arrived. It seems that they were more faulty than expected.

Even so, I still get the eerie feeling that they are watching from the snake like strips of forest that are spread out across the valley, waiting for just the right moment to pounce. The sun begins to rise and so the ninth day in the arena starts. Nine days, nine tributes left, and only seven of those mutts left.

I wake Bala and decide to take a small nap. After my dreamless sleep, I am woken around what might possibly be 8:30 a.m.

"So," I say, "What are we going to do today?"

"I don't know," Bala admits, "We can't go hunting without risking being destroyed by those mutts, but we can't keep going on like this and do nothing."

For a moment there is silence. Survival seems impossible, even though I'm still alive _because of_ career, it seems like its been a bad year to for the careers.

"Do you think the others will ever wake up?" I ask.

"To be honest, I have no clue," says Bala, "I can't even figure out why the Game Makers did this."

"Do you think they wanted to see if we'd just kill them?" I ask and Bala looks at me almost in horror, but the shock in his expression is defiantly shown.

"To put them out of their misery," I add on.

"Well…" He says as he sits down, "I guess it's going to happen eventually. But I just don't want to be the one to start it."

'If he's not then he'll be the first one dead.' I think. I wouldn't mind starting the breaking off of the Careers. I'd need to catch them by surprise though. If I want to win, I'll have to be very careful.

We sit for nearly an hour, every once and a while checking if the hunting mutts are near. At around noon, it becomes dark outside, like a giant is directly blocking the sun. Bala and I rush outside to see that there is a solar eclipse. There is a howl heard in the distance, but not the death signal howl, the howl of a command to attack. Soon, we see all seven remaining Mutts running towards us from the plateaus.

There is sudden coughing inside the cornucopia and we rush back in to find Crescent having muscle spasms and flailing all over the floor as though she were being tazzed time and time again. One thing is for sure, she's dieing. We quickly grab any kind of medicine we can and force it down her throat. Medicine after medicine, nothing seems to work, and I'm sure that giving her all these medications at once won't be exactly helpful either. Eventually, we've tried everything we've got.

"Nothing's working!" I shout in panic.

Soon the mutts will be closing in on us and Crescent's spasms have grown in intensity.

"What that on the table?" Bala asks. I look over and see that it's a can of soup.

"That won't help," I tell him.

"Yes it will," He says as though he's had a sudden realization, "You know how thin they got? That smoke in their bodies must have been stealing all of their body's energy, so they need food and nutrients!"

I realize that he may very well be right and grab the soup as quickly as I can. Bala shoves a couple spoon-fulls of the soup down her mouth and it provides instant relief. Her eyes flutter open and she raises her head.

"What's going on!?" she cries out.

"No time to explain," says Bala, "Just grab a weapon, a pack, and get out of here."

"Wait," I nearly shout, "What about Jacob and Arma?!"

"You two get Jacob, I'll grab Arma," instructs Bala and we oblige.

After grabbing a few supplies, and two swords, we pick up Arma and Jacob and start moving as fast as we can.

Had we spent a few more minutes grabbing what little supplies we had been able to obtain, we would be dead. We haul Arma and Jacob through the valley, not even bothering to enter the forests, as the trees and branches would only slow us down even more.

As we run across the valley, Crescent gives a look of confusion, and I realize that she's just now finding out about the hunting mutts. We'll have to explain later. Suddenly, Jacob's body jerks to the side and he flies out of our hands. He begins to have spasms just as Crescent did. We quickly give him a bit of food and he wakes up gasping as though it's the first time he's ever had a breathe of air.

"What the hell!" He shouts when he sees the incoming mutts.

"We'll tell you later now let's go!" Bala shouts back and Jacob is immediately on his feet and helping Bala carry Arma.

With Jacob up and about, running becomes much easier. However, Crescent and Jacob are still weak from their slumber and lag behind.

The mutts are nearing in and just as we turn to go around one of the un-climbable hills, a river appears in the distance. We continue our sprint through the open hills and make our way there. Crescent and I jump in and swim across while Jacob and Bala struggle to carry Arma's immobile body in the water. Just as we reach the other side, we topple onto the ground.

I look up see that mutts seem unwilling to cross the small river. The day remains dimly lit due to the solar eclipse and we all pant as we rest at the foot of the mote. Crescent and Jacob begin to eat immediately, but are stopped when Bala tells them about what little supplies they have now, but they're not used to being hungry and will have to adapt.

It isn't long before a foolish mutt with only one hand begins to cross the river. We are nearly caught by surprise but Crescent must have seen it coming as a knife is quickly lodged in the mutt's forehead. The mutts falls and is quickly consumed in the flowing waters.

"What are those things?" she pants.

"Hunters," I explain to her, "They came only a few hours after the smoke emerged."

"How many of us are left?" asks Jacob.

"Nine," replies Bala.

"This eclipse, it's almost like a signal for the mutts to attack, and for you to wake up," I think aloud, "They're somehow connected."

"Yea," Bala agrees.

The eclipse nears its end and we begin to feed Arma so they he won't have spasms later on. Meanwhile Crescent and Jabcob munch on what little food we have left. The second the sun is fully revealed is when Arma wakes up. The Careers are back in the Games.

* * *

><p><strong>Review! So here's the death list in order of when they died:<strong>

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4/**

**Other Alliances: (Moray Eel-15-District 4/Alder Black-17-District 7)**

**Loners: Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8**


	42. Alder: A Whole New Arena

Chapter 42: Alder

A Whole New Arena

The Careers found the island. They had nearly found us as well but were too busy with the mutts and their injured teammate to even notice us run and hide. It would have been the perfect time to strike and take them down, but Moray and I agreed; no killing. So instead, we quickly grabbed our things and ran a small distance in the forest, soon climbing in under a pine tree and climbing up. These trees aren't the easiest to get into, but they are the easiest to climb, not to mention it provides excellent coverage. We stayed in distance so that we would be able to keep tabs on the Careers.

With Arma ill, Bala and Jacob decide to go back to the cornucopia and retrieve the rest of their supplies. Meanwhile Techno and Crescent stay behind to set up a new camp and care for Arma.

"So they finally woke up," observes Moray, "Now what do we do?"

"Um… I think we should just wait for night fall, and then we'll have to sneak off this island."

"But the mutts are right out side," Moray argues "This is the only safe place."

"Well we can't stay here, they'll find us," I tell her, "When we get out we'll find a strip of forest and climb, that's another thing these mutts aren't good at."

Once I finish the branch I stand on cracks and I slip. I grab hold of a branch above me and stand on a new branch; I'm getting too big for tree climbing. The branch I had previously stood on crashes to the floor. Unfortunately it caused much commotion and we attract the attention of Crescent and Techno.

"What was that?" asks Techno.

"Them," replies Crescent as she looks straight up at us.

They both grab swords and rush to our tree.

"So much for that plan," says Moray as we both jump down from the tree and run as fast as we can, and Techno and Crescent quicken their pace to catch up to us.

We pull some distance between us and them, but it's not enough. We reach the end of the island to find four mutts waiting for us on the other side of the island's mote.

"What do we do?" Moray cries out.

I can hear Techno and Crescent getting closer and closer. If we hide they will see the mutts still waiting and know we are still here. On the other hand if we go we'll be killed by the mutts. We need to make the mutts disappear, but how?

Then it hits me. I grab Moray's wrist and pull her along, running along the edge of the mote bringing us and the mutts away from the direction Crescent and Techno are heading in. Once we have gotten far enough, Moray and I hide in the bushes. Now when Crescent and Techno arrive at the stream, they will find it empty and be forced to assume that we got away.

I realize my plan has worked when the mutts go sprinting back in the direction we previously came from.

"Come on this is our only chance to loose them," I say.

"But the mutts will track us," insists Moray.

"We've gotten away from mutts before, we can do it again," I assure her and we take off across the mote and across the valley, then disappearing into the nearest strip of forest.

We choose a tall skinny pine tree and after getting to the trunk through all the low handing branches, we begin climbing. We rest at the top and wait for night fall. The eclipse from earlier has set everything off weirdly. The games have started to change a lot, the black fog has gone completely and the Careers are all back. It's like the Games have started anew.

"That was close," Moray sighs.

"You can say that again," I reply.

"That was close," she repeats and I grin.

I couldn't have picked a better partner. Although I still wonder what the Games would have been like had I saved Thalia. Would I still have allied myself with Clover or Moray? Would the combination of she and I been able to kill Arma when we fought after I stole the axe from the cornucopia? Still, I mustn't ponder on the 'what if's. I have to focus on the here and now. It is now that I remember my little sister back home. How I have to get back to her and keep her safe from these Games.

Suddenly, there is a shift and both Moray and I almost fall out of the tree. She was able to grab onto the trunk but I wasn't so lucky. I fell out of the branch I sat on and quickly held on to the one adjacent to it to stop myself from plummeting down to the ground. I pull myself back up and there is another shift.

"What's going on?" Moray asks almost panicking.

"I don't know!" I gasp and suddenly the tree starts moving. At first I believe that it's falling but then I realize we're still completely upright. Our tree isn't the only one that's moving though. The entire strip of forest itself is moving, as are all the forests around us, forming new patterns at different areas of the arena. The entire arena is changing its layout right before our eyes.

It is then that I forget we're still moving and fall out of the tree. Moray jumps down after me and helps me up and the once beautiful phenomenon has become a deadly nightmare. Trees move at speeds of trains and threaten to run us over while their sharp branches snap at us as they pass through.

We begin to run to get out of the busy traffic of the trees but seem unable to get out, it moves in whichever direction we move in. We yelp, and scream as branches cut our arms, legs and faces as they zip past us. We jump back and forth, trying to dodge the incoming trees. As we run, Moray's foot must have gotten caught in something because she topples to the ground. As I help her up, its almost too late to see the incoming tree. I push her out of the way as I begin to dodge but I'm too late. The tree hits and I go spiraling around its trunk and hit the ground.

Moray screams out to me and tries to get me back on my feet, but the impact has knocked the wind out of me. I say there for a moment immobile, trying to catch my breathe.

We were safe when we were in the tree but now no matter where we go the trees threaten to kill us. Moray manages to get me on my feet and I droop over her shoulder, just like I did when she helped me across the river. She reaches up her arm and grabs an oncoming branch, dragging me along with her. The branch carries us and I realize she's trying to climb the tree. Our combined weight is too much for the branch though and it snaps, causing us to topple back to the ground.

We try again she grabs hold of another tree. She quickly hoists herself up into it and helps me up as well. We don't climb very high as to ensure when we fall it won't be fatal. I begin to catch my breathe and turn my attention towards her.

"Are you ok?" I ask but she doesn't say anything.

I look down at her left arm and there's a huge gash, one of the branches must gotten her bad. I immediately apply her with the medicine that was used for my leg and the trees slowly begin to slow down, finally finding their new place.

Surely by now we're on the other side of the arena. When the Careers leave the island they will have a hard time recognizing the place. The only thing still in the same place would be the central valley with the cornucopia, the two plateaus and the three un-climbable hills; one of which we are near.

"Can we get out of this tree for a little while?" Moray asks quietly, still hurt by her arm.

"Sure," I say, I jump out of the tree and help her to the ground. We make our way to the un-climbable hill and sit up against it, finally resting.

Suddenly, a blade slices right through the grass of the hill exactly between our resting heads. Moray screams and we scamper away thinking it's another trick of the arena. The blade retracts and goes through again. Soon a fist goes through and a hole is made, the pattern continues as the blade makes the hole in the hill into a sort of door to a small cave with a pond it.

A figure steps out from the cave and at first I think it's another mutt but I soon realize that it's Clover.

"Alder! Moray!" she cries out in relief and hugs us.

"Clover," Moray cries out in response. I stand there stiff as a log. I still haven't forgotten that she left me behind in the hands of the Careers.

"Thank god you found me! I found this neat cave; it can work as our temporary home or something!" Clover says in glee.

It must be the happiest she's been since entering the arena. Her happiness is cut short when a sudden arrow zips past us and hits the side of the hill. We spin around to find Surge, who must have been hiding there the whole time.

"Into the cave!" shouts Clover and she and Moray scurry in as another arrow zips towards us.

"Stop!" I call out, I instead stand my ground.

"Do you really think killing us is the best idea under these circumstances?" I say before he can notch another arrow.

"What do you mean?" asks Surge, apparently intrigued by what I have to say.

"Well… there are still five Careers left, and we're the last four tributes. if we die, you'll be their last target before they split up."

He lowers his bow, allowing me to continue.

"What are you getting at?" he asks.

"Yea what _are_ you getting at?" Clover repeats him.

"If the four of us team up then we'll be almost even match. We'll be able to finish the Careers off once and for all."

"So like one final battle between all of us," says Surge, "The Careers verses the Tributes."

"Alder no," Moray trembles, "You promised..."

As her words hit my ear I just look down in shame, she's right, but what other choice do we have?

"But they have the advantage in both skill and numbers," Clove says and she's right. They've trained their whole lives and they are five, we're only four.

"But we'll have something they don't," I almost whisper, "The element of surprise. They'll never see it coming."

"Alright," says Surge apparently convinced, "Let's do it. I have some extra weapons we can use that I got from that Kraken girl from District 9."

"I know," says Clover, "I was there when you killed her."

"You were?" asks Surge, "Where?"

"In the ditch, under Wolfbane's body," Clover says.

"Well I didn't see you, and I'm happy that you're alive now but, if I knew you were there at the time, I would have killed you."

"I know," says Clover, "I would have done the same had the roles been switched."

Moray and I exchange glances. These two clearly have no desire to show up the Capitol.

"Alright," Surge says, "Let's prepare for battle. We'll have to be quick because I'm pretty sure Arma, Jacob, and Bala are almost done grabbing supplies from the cornucopia and relocating."

"Ok," says Moray.

Clover hands me my axe, Moray takes out her bludgeon, and Surge hands Clover his sword, holding onto the bow and arrows.

"That bludgeon won't do you much good," says Surge," Alder, you're from District 7, the wood working district, think you can make her a spear?"

"How would we get the spear head?" I ask and Surge takes out a broken spear.

"I saved it just in case," he says taking off the spear head, "You can use this."

I take it and go to the nearby forest immediately, using my axe to get a branch straight and thick enough to use, then using my dagger to thin it down a bit and apply the spear head. Not the best spear in the world, but it will have to do. I hand it to Moray and she handles it the way she was taught to in the training arena, practicing by throwing it into a tree and it sticks to it.

"Perfect," says Surge.

"It's almost nightfall, we have to go now or never," says Clover and we head out.

It's almost impossible to find our way to the island with the new set up of forests in entirely new patterns. But we manage, remembering that the island was a while away from a certain un-climbable hill. We find it and peer at it, hidden in the trees and the dimly lit light from the setting sun. The Careers have set up camp, but still only have a few of their supplies. A lot must still be at the cornucopia.

"Time to start the end," whispers Surge.

"Remember the plan we made on the way here," I tell him and he nods, slipping into the shadows.

Moray, Clover and I allow him ten minutes, and then we make our way into the clearing, grabbing the Careers attention.

"Hey!" I call out, "Remember us? You know; the ones who tricked you time and time again?"

Arma, Crescent and Jacob grit their teeth and grip their weapons tight. Bala gives a look of concern for I would assume Moray and clever little Techno's eye dart around searching for another trick.

He doesn't figure it out. Not until an Arrow flies past him and into Crescent's chest. The cannon is shot and the battle ensues. Surge leaps into the scene and tackles Techno as Bala, Jacob, and Arma make their way across the mote. They pay no attention to Techno and attack. Arma jumps immediately towards Moray but I deflect his attack with my axe, then shoving him away. It's not long before a hand grabs my shoulder and turns me around to come face to face with the huge Jacob. He's about to strike but Clover grabs his raised hand holding his sword, pulling his attention towards her. Meanwhile I've been too distracted to realize Arma is about to fling his mace. He swings and I jump out of the way, but not without getting slightly scathed. He is about to lunge but is stopped by Moray, who hits him over the back with the back of her spear. Bala soon grabs me by the hair and pulls me up while Arma turns his attention to Moray who hesitantly stands before him with her spear. Meanwhile, Clover and Jacob fight with their clashing swords.

I come face to face with Bala and I quickly head-butt him, causing him to fall back a little. I knock him out with the back of my axe when the sound of howls sounds off. Oh no! I forgot about the mutts, and we're not on the inside of the mote.

Surge, who ceased fighting with Techno, disappears into the trees. Techno holds up the gadget and Jacob and Arma go to his aid, abandoning Bala, and continuing away with Techno. Meanwhile Moray and Clover have already started running. But I can't just leave Bala like this; surely if I do his death will be long and cruel. The remaining six mutts come into view and are heading straight towards us. I pick up Bala and start to retreat, but there's no way we'll out run them at this point.

Suddenly two mutts are shot down and I know either Surge just wants to get rid of them or is trying to help me, either way, the mutts become distracted. It gives me enough time to escape into the trees and get Bala and I onto high ground, a.k.a. up in a tree.

The mutts abandon their attempts to get to Surge on the island and instead move on to find the others, they most probably forgot about me. Night falls and Crescent's face appears in the sky, so much for the grand finale. I guess the Game Makers decided the Games weren't over yet. The audience must really love this. Then again, it's only the end of the ninth day; perhaps a finale at this time would be too soon anyway. There are only four mutts left, and we're down to the final eight. Oh no! The entire world will be able to see Cassandra, and who knows if the Capitol takes that as an opportunity to further mock the Districts.

My thoughts are disrupted when Bala wakes up, bolting up straight, reaching for his spear.

"I wouldn't do that it I was you," I say holding up my axe, which would be better since we're so close, "Not to mention I saved your life. The mutts would have torn you apart."

"Who else died?" he asks.

"Crescent was the only one, but Arma, Jacob and Techno ran off somewhere," I tell him.

"Well I guess it was about time I left those guys anyway."

He didn't say it, but I think we had silently formed an alliance. Only problem was that we didn't have much supplies.

"There's still a lot of stuff at the cornucopia, we should probably get there before Arma, Jacob, and Techno do," he says.

"They're probably already there," I say.

"Not if the mutts caught up to them," says Bala, "I mean it's worth a shot."

"Alright," I say.

We get out of the tree and head to the cornucopia. It takes us longer than it would have since the arena changed. That also could have slowed down the others from getting there first. But we get there before the dawn breaks and find it to be dimly lit.

"Damn," I gasp, "We got here too late. What do you think we should we do now?"

I turn to face him but he's disappeared. I call out his name but there's no response. I stand to search for him when I get hit over the head with what feels like the base of Bala's spear. Everything goes hazy for a while as I struggle to escape, but I am hit over the head again. Before I blackout, I think to myself that I trust far too easily.

* * *

><p><strong>So yea I admit Alder's pretty stupid and a lot more deaths probably could have been done here but whatever. Please review! I'm begging please review! I just really like comments so send em on in.<strong>

**Review! So here's the death list in order of when they died:**

**Rose Redbird-18-District 12-Choked to death by Willow-Bloodbath**

**Thalia Skyware-17-District 11- Knife lodged in throat by Crescent-Bloodbath**

**Bull Shooter- 12-District 10- Killed by Jacob's sword-Bloodbath**

**Willow Spring-17-District 7- Decapitated by Jacob with his sword-Bloodbath**

**Graphite Ramirez-14 -District 12- Killed by Glamour with her mace-Bloodbath**

**Aadrash Mohina- 14- District 9- Killed by Arma with his flail/flanged mace-Bloodbath**

**Glamour Devine-18-District 1- Drank from the poisoned lake-Day 1**

**Oralae Cledgrep-13-District 10- Beat to death by Clover with Moray's bludgeon-Day 1**

**Aura Woodlock-16-District 3- During Strong Winds a tree was uprooted and crushed her-Day 2**

**Reinzac Chako-17-District 6- Got an Axe to the head by suprise by Clover-Day 3**

**Everlee Madett-16-District 6- stabbed by Clover after long battle-Day 3**

**Edeline Crow- 14-District 5- Tortured and killed by Arma and Crescent- Day 4**

**Baxter Orkendale-13-District 8- drank from poisoned lake-Day 4**

**Wolfbane Stride-15- District 11- trapped and shot by Kraken- Day 5**

**Kraken Lazarus- 16- District 9- killed by Surge- Day 5**

**Crescent Lyagh-18-District 2- shot by Surge with bow and arrow- Day 9**

**Here are those who are still alive and who they've allianed themselves with:**

**The Careers: Jacob Diamond-17-District 1/ Arma Treno-16-District 2/Techno Electrique-13-District 3/ Bala Shark-18-District 4**

**Other Alliances: **

**Loners: Moray Eel-15-District 4  
>- - - - - -<strong>**Surge Cooper-17-District 5*  
><strong>**- - - - - -Alder Black-17-District 7  
>- - - - - -Clover Wool- 15-District 8 <strong>


End file.
